Trainer's Legacy
by Onion Man Chive
Summary: The first of 4 instalments of the Trainer's Legacy series. Jason Patton begins his Pokemon Expidition as a trainer. Will he make it to the top ranks of Pokemon trainers around the world?
1. Chapter 1

_Surprise surprise! The Onion Man is back in the realm of Pokemon once again! For those of you who don't already know, this story has been posted before about a year ago. In that time, I wanted to add to it, but I found areas of dissatisfation in the story and wanted to improve those areas. So, with that in mind, I began rewriting the story and became more and more satisfied with its progress. This is the first of four stories that will be involved in my Trainer's Legacy Series, and I intend to see all stories through until the very end._

_In the stories to come, the main character, Jason Patton, will be involved with characters with the anime show, but this series is not tied to the cannon of the show. In other words, characters like Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower will be in the series and will have similar character traits, but the story line is different from the show. Details about such characters will be specified in the author's notes at the end of this story._

_So anyway, this is the final redux of the first Trainer's Legacy story. I hope you like my approach!_

_**Disclaimer:** Pokemon is the property of Nintendo, Game Freaks, and WBKids respectively. This is a non-profit composition of literature made for the soul purpose of entertaining the many readers of fanfiction and the recognition of authors among this site._

**_This story is rated T for teens of the ages 13 and up. The story contains action violence, harsh language, smoking of tobacco, brief nudity (nothing graphic), and a moment of sensuality.

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_Prologue: Last Chance_

_In the seas north of Cinnabar Island, a large steamboat carried many passengers towards the shores of Pallet Town, a small town in the region of Kanto and home to a famous Professor who specializes in Pokemon biology and classification, Samuel Oak. With Pallet Town only an hour away, most of the passengers were inside the ship's interior packing their belongings. There was one, however, that remained outside._

_The young man, Jason, wore dark blue jeans with rips along the pant legs and a white T-shirt under a grey hooded jacket. He wore a pair of worn out brown boots on his feet and black gloves on his hands with the fingers half way cut off. His dark brown hair was short in length and had a natural spiky look to it. He was nineteen years of age and had a slightly muscular build._

_Jason stood outside on the upper level of the steamboat with his green backpack by his feet. He leaned his arms on the railing in front of him and gazed upon the ocean's horizon. As he held a lit cigarette in his left index and middle finger, he thought about his home on Cinnabar Island. Though the tourists onboard the steamboat had many good memories of the 'tropical island paradise,' Jason had no such memories. He was a victim of tragic loss and suffering. Before Jason's father died when he was six years of age, Jason had very few worries. His mother was no bargain with her near constant alcohol consumption, but his father was always there for him._

_When Jason's father died of stomach cancer, he had nothing to look forward to. The tragic death of his father traumatized Jason in a way that caused him to take up some of his mother's habits. He would steal booze from the refrigerator, he took up smoking at age twelve, and he became addicted to pain killers. At age seventeen, Jason was sentenced to rehab after being convicted of brutally assaulting a police officer while under the influence of alcohol. Fortunately for Jason, rehab made a lasting impression on him and he made every effort to relieve himself of his alcohol and pill addiction. Jason was released from rehab two months before his eighteenth birth day without any urge to engage into his old habits._

_Unfortunately, his mother hadn't changed at all. She continued to drink and began to date abusive men. This did not suit well for Jason. He gradually became violent and would assault these men whenever they abused him or his mother. To add to Jason's frustration, his mother would criticize him for defending her and finally kicked him out of the house on his nineteenth birthday, telling him never to return._

_Jason shook off his thoughts and brought his cigarette to his lips. As he sucked the smoke into his lungs, he reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a cut-out newspaper ad he found two days after he was forced to live on his own. The ad consisted of an article concerning beginner Pokemon trainers and a picture of Professor Samuel Oak. It stated that the Pallet Town Professor was giving out a special opportunity for beginner trainers to embark on a quest of some sort._

_Though Jason knew nothing about training Pokemon, nor did he ever think in a million years he would become a trainer, he kept the ad and quit his job at a construction site once he had enough money to leave the island. Days later, he bought a one way ticket to Pallet Town, leaving behind his sad past in hopes of pursuing a chance to make something of himself._

_Suddenly, the horns of the steamboat alerted all the passengers that Pallet Town Harbor was only minutes away. Jason took one last drag from his smoke and threw it out to sea. He then grabbed his backpack and headed for the boarding ramp with the other passengers. Though not even he realized it at the time, but this was the day that the Legendary Jason Patton had begun his journey as a Pokemon League Champion.

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**Trainer's Legacy**

_by Onion Man Chive_

**Chapter 1: Pallet Town**

Jason was the first to leave the ship once it docked with the Pallet Town Harbor. To his luck as soon as he took his first step on Pallet soil, thunder sounded in the grey skies above and it slowly began to rain. As the millions of droplets poured from the clouds, Jason looked up to the sky with a smile on his face. Although the other passengers were in a hurry to find shelter, Jason kept his pace slow as he breathed in the fresh rain scent and let the drops of water moisten his hair and skin.

After a moment of enjoying the rain storm, Jason put his hood over his head and joined the crowd heading into town. Pallet Town was small but rather peaceful. As Jason ventured throughout the city, he easily picked up a pleasant vibe. The small town was lush with high trees, clean roads, and smiles from most of the townsfolk that traveled through the storm.

Fifteen minutes passed. Jason had been searching through the storm with no sign of the Professor's laboratory. Desperately needing to rest, Jason ran towards a local grocer so that he could wait out the storm and continue his search later. As he ran along the parking lot, a lady with long brown hair, a rain coat and an umbrella stood next to her van with her four year old son and could see Jason trying to get away from the storm. Feeling the need to help the poor fellow, she picked up her son with one arm and held the umbrella with the other as she ran towards Jason.

As the lady came closer and closer to Jason, the Cinnabar Island native slowed down his pace as she approached him and held the umbrella over both of their heads.

"Here you go," said the lady with a chipper tone in her voice. "Nobody should be without an umbrella in a rain storm, especially when you're going shopping for groceries."

Jason let out a smirk as they finally reached the grocery store. "Thanks," said Jason. "I'm not actually here for groceries. I just came here to get out of the storm."

"Let me guess," said the lady as she tilted her head with her smile still intact. "You're not from around here."

Jason let out a laugh. "Good guess. I'm from Cinnabar Island."

"Oh, wow! I'll bet you have some good memories there."

Jason's smile faded slightly. He looked towards the pavement below his feet and said, "I've got memories, alright."

The lady, oblivious to Jason's uncomfortable state of mind, readjusted her hold on her black haired son and said, "Well now, what brings an islander like you here?"

The lady's change of topic eased Jason out of his thoughts as he brought his eyes back to hers. "I'm looking for someone who lives here in town." Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out his newspaper ad. "I know it's a little wet, but you should still be able to see the guy's face."

The lady took a look at the faded ad in Jason's hand and studied it. After a brief moment, the lady recognized the man in the picture. "Oh, you're looking for Professor Oak."

Relief struck the heart of Jason, causing a sigh to escape his lips. "You wouldn't happen to know where this man lives, would you?"

"I could point you in the right direction, but you'll never make it there without catching a cold. How about I drive you there?"

Jason's eyes widened slightly at her proposition. It had been a long time since anybody had given him such kindness. Unsure about what to do, he said, "I, uh…. I don't want to put you out."

The lady giggled at his response. "Don't be silly. I'm a big supporter for Pokemon trainers. My husband was a trainer until he blew out his knee. Professor's Oak's lab is on the way to my house, so you won't be putting me out at all."

Jason, realizing that this woman wasn't going to let him go back out into the storm, finally gave in and said, "Alright, you win. I'm Jason, by the way."

"Oh, excuse me," said the lady with a bright smile. "Where are my manners? I'm Delia Ketchum, and this is my son, Ash."

The little toddler waved his little arm with excitement in his brown eyes. Jason smirked at the little boy and grabbed Delia's umbrella so that she could hold Ash with both arms. They headed for Delia's car in a slow pace. As the reached the van, Jason held the umbrella over Delia's head so that she could strap young Ash into his car seat in the back with the groceries. Once the toddler was strapped, Jason gave the umbrella to Delia and hopped in the front seat of the van as Delia went around to the other side of the van. Delia then opened the door to the driver's seat and inserted the key into the ignition, twisting it and starting the van.

"Seatbelts, please," said Delia as she buckled her seatbelt on.

Jason quickly buckled his, respecting her rules. Delia drove the van out of the parking lot and pulled into the busy street, heading for Professor Oak's laboratory.

While in the van, Jason kept his sights on his window, gazing upon the sights of the town. Unbeknownst to him, Ash was watching Jason from his seat behind his mother's. Curiosity got the best of the little boy when he finally spoke in his raspy high-pitched voice.

"Hi," said Ash, grabbing Jason' attention.

Jason turned around and smirked at Ash. "Hey, kid."

Ash frowned and said, "My name Ash, not kid!"

Jason chuckled and raised his hands up in defeat. "Hey, sorry."

"Be nice, Ashton," warned Delia as she made a turn into another street.

"Ok, mommy," said Ash as he looked down towards the floor.

Jason kept his sights on the toddler and said, "How old are you, Ash?"

Ash's spirits sparked up once again as he brought his eyes to Jason's. "I four years old!"

"Wow. Four years, huh?"

"Isn't he the brightest thing," said Delia with delight in her voice.

"How old you," asked the little boy.

"I'm old," responded Jason. I'm nineteen years old."

Ash shot Jason a look of confusion. "How many is that?"

Jason raised his eyebrows at Ash. "A lot."

* * *

Minutes later, the rain had finally stopped and they arrived at the front entrance of Professor Oak's house. There wasn't a parkway for vehicles to enter, just a concrete walkway cutting the path of the green grass on the front lawn. The house was two stories high and looked more like a small mansion. Trees grew in random areas on the lawn, flowers bloomed in the gardens in front of the walls of the house, and a few young Aides, undoubtedly working for the Professor, were spread out on the lawn conversing amongst each other.

Jason unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. Before leaving the vehicle, he turned around and faced Delia and Ash. "Thanks again for the lift."

"You're welcome, sweetie," said Delia with a bright smile.

"Ash, you take care."

"Bye-bye!"

With that Jason exited the van and shut the door before Delia drove the van away. Jason walked towards the front door of the house and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Moments after Jason's rapping, a near middle-aged man opened the door from the inside wearing a blue polo shirt under a white laboratory coat and brown slacks matching the color of his dress shoes. His short hair was light brown and was gelled in the bangs area, making his bangs stick up.

The man looked at Jason with concern in his eyes. Jason's cloths were soaked from the storm and his hair was frizzy from the moisture.

"Good god, man," said the middle-aged man. "Were you in that storm?"

Jason shot a look of confusion until he glanced at his wet cloths. "Oh, yeah I was. But, uh, my shoes should be dried up by now."

"Well don't concern yourself with your shoes, young lad. You must be freezing to death. Please, come inside."

The older man placed his hand on Jason's back, leading him inside the house. Jason walked inside and was lead to the large living room of the house. The room was highly decorated with paintings and stain glass windows, giving the room a colorful aura of light. A live fire burned in the fireplace and the furniture had brown leather with plenty of cushion.

As the older man lead Jason to the couch, a young man wearing a laboratory coat and large glasses ran towards the older man with excitement in his eyes.

"Professor Oak," said the younger man. "I finished the report on Fire-Type Biology!"

Professor Oak smirked at the young student and said, "Wonderful, Walter. Before you turn it in, would you prepare some tea for me and my guest?"

"Yes, Professor. Right away!"

As Walter ran towards the kitchen, Professor Oak grabbed a bath towel from a nearby closet and gave it to Jason.

"Here," said Professor Oak. "Let me take your jacket so you can warm up."

"You really don't have to do that," said Jason.

"Do what?"

Jason let out a laugh. "The towel, the tea, the jacket-"

Jason was cut off by a hand gesture from the Professor. "Nonsense, young lad. You are my guest. Make yourself at home while I go check on the tea."

Without another word Oak went straight for the kitchen, leaving Jason alone in the living room with a towel in hand. While Jason put the towel to good use, Oak lifted the tea kettle from the stove on his kitchen and poured the hot liquid into two mugs. He then placed Jason's jacket on the floor next to the laundry room located next to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Jason finished drying his hair and set the towel next to him on the couch. He then leaned his arms on his thighs and kept his hands clasped together as he waited for Oak. Moments later, the Pokemon Professor walked towards Jason carrying two mugs and handed Jason one of them. Jason took the mug and breathed in the scent of the green tea. As Jason took a sip of the hot beverage, Oak took a seat in a recliner chair next to the couch and took a sip of his own before setting the mug down on the coffee table.

"Thank you," said Jason.

"No no, please. I always tend to my guests, Mr. ….."

Jason picked up on Oak's questioning and said, "Oh, sorry. I'm Jason Patton."

"Professor Samuel Oak," said Oak as the two shook each other's hands.

"So tell me," began Oak as he leaned his back against his chair. "What brings you here? My house is rather far from town and obviously you didn't come here just to enjoy my company."

Jason chuckled at Oak's joking tone. He set his mug down on the coffee table and said, "Well, you're right. I'm not here to visit. I read your ad in the newspaper."

"Is that so," asked Oak with an excited expression in his eyes. "Then you must be here for the trainer's spot. You're in luck. You're the first person to respond to my ad."

"Oh, good," said Jason. "There's one thing I don't understand about it, though. The ad said something about a 'great adventure.' What exactly are you offering?"

Oak smirked and stood up from his seat. "Well, Mr. Patton, when I said grand adventure, I meant exactly that. You see, I'm not just giving a trainer a head start in the right direction of becoming a good Pokemon trainer. No, I am offering someone a chance to take part in an expedition, if you will. A journey of knowledge and adventure."

Oak approached one of the towering stain-glass windows near the fireplace and gazed upon the artwork. Jason took one more sip from his mug and then walked towards the Professor, standing behind him.

"I have invented a portable device," began Oak. "I call it the Pokedex. It's a small device with high level memory storage and sophisticated scanning technology. The purpose of its creation is to record data about Pokemon around the world. When activated, it runs a scan on a Pokemon and records its biological traits, including overall size and even the Pokemon's biological type. With this technology, scientists will be able to study these creatures in a way that they never could before."

Jason noticed Oak's pride and smirked. "So that's why you sent in the ad. You need somebody to travel the regions and use this device of yours."

Oak glanced at Jason and said, "That is indeed my intention. I would do it myself, but I am getting old and I must concentrate my attention here where it is needed most."

"But why have a complete stranger go on this safari hunt? Don't you have plenty of staff that could pull it off?"

Oak chuckled. "I have loyal workers, Jason, but they are not meant for this expedition. I need someone who longs for adventure. Someone with strength and determination. I won't lie to you, Jason. What I am asking will test your wits and may even put your life at risk. This expedition requires good judgment and bravery. Do you think that you have what is necessary to go on this journey?"

Jason kept his sights on the window. He wanted to be a part of something big, but this made him hesitate in his answer. Was he really willing to put his life on the line for something he doesn't even know about? He never thought in a million years that he would become a Pokemon trainer, let alone an errand boy for some crazy science project.

But then he thought, 'What else do I have going for me?'

Maybe this science expedition would bring out meaning to his life. It would be for a good cause, and it would help not only scientists, but other trainers as well. His mind made up, he took a deep breath brought his sights to Oak.

"I'll do it," was all Jason said.

Oak smiled and patted Jason on the back. "Wonderful! I'll prepare your equipment while you take a shower and my assistant washes your clothes."

"Huh? Ok, now you're being overzealous. You don't need-"

"Walter, could you come here a moment?"

Oak's loyal assistant ran into the living room and awaited Oak's instruction. "Yes sir?"

"Would you be so kind as to escort this young man to the upstairs bathroom and take his clothes to the laundry room?"

Walter anxiously nodded. "Of course! Right away!"

Jason tried to interject but was late to reply when Oak interrupted him again. "No if, ands or buts Jason. There's a robe hanging on the door of the bathroom for you to use until your clothes are ready. Now go upstairs while I prepare your equipment. Meet me downstairs in my lab when you are finished with the shower."

Jason was beside himself. He tried desperately to think of something to say, but no words could come out. He simply turned towards Walter and followed him upstairs. As the two left the living room, Oak headed towards the stairway that lead to his laboratory.

Meanwhile, Jason and Walter walked up the steps leading to the second story. Jason glanced at Walter with a look of contempt.

"So," began Jason. "You actually like being this guy's lackey? Writing reports and handling dirty laundry of complete strangers?"

Walter shot Jason an expression of resentment. "Professor Oak is the greatest man I know. He has accomplished so much in the fields of science and has taken it upon himself to teach me and accept me as his accomplice. I am proud to handle his guest's dirty laundry."

Jason shook his head and chuckled. "You're stronger minded than I am, that's for sure."

The two made their way to the bathroom door. Jason entered the bathroom and shut the door behind him. The first item of clothing he stripped off was his shirt, exposing his tattooed arms and back. He had matching black tribal-like bands that covered his forearms and smaller bands with similar design on his biceps. On his back he had a large tattoo of a black, dragon-like figure that looked similar to a Charizard, minus the flame on the tip of its tail. The wings on the creature were spread out and the eyes were painted dark blue. Jason got these tattoos when he was younger, during his alcohol days. He had no regret in the tattoos themselves, but they were a reminder of his past.

Once he finished removing the rest of his clothing, he stood behind the door and opened it far enough for him to slip them through the entry way. Jason then handed the clothes to Walter and closed the door shut. While Walter walked downstairs, Jason opened the shower curtains and stepped inside. He then turned the two knobs on the tile wall, causing water to shoot out from the shower head above him. Jason let himself relax as the warm liquid ran along his skin and hair, cleaning them and keeping Jason warm.

Ten minutes later, Jason wandered around the basement laboratory in search of Oak, wearing a red and white plaid robe from the bathroom. The lab was massive and filled with many high-tech instruments along the walls. Finally, Jason saw Oak standing next to a table with various traveling equipment on top of the wooden surface. Oak too notice to Jason's presence and motioned his hand for Jason to approach.

"Ah, Jason," said Oak. "Come over here so I can show you your traveling gear."

Jason walked towards the Professor and turned his gaze towards the table.

"Now then," began Oak. "Here are your Pokeballs. These are tools used for catching wild Pokemon. Once the creature is weakened, throw this little gizmo at it and upon impact the ball will open, releasing its energy net that literally shrinks the Pokemon and contains it inside. Though it looks small, these babies give the captured Pokemon a very comfortable environment for them to rest in, so you don't have to feel bad about containing them in small space."

Jason picked up one of the Pokeballs and studied it. It was a metal sphere, no bigger than a baseball, with the top half painted red and the bottom half painted white. At its center was a button which, if pressed would shrink the size of the Pokeball to that of a ping-pong ball. After testing the button a few times, Jason set the Pokeball down and returned his sights to the table.

"This is your PokeGear. This is, next to the Pokedex, your most advanced technological piece of equipment. It is wrapped around your wrist and has many capabilities. Basically, it's a cell phone, a radio, a stop watch, a regional map, and a radar scanner all in one. The controls are easy to figure out, so you shouldn't find it too difficult to use. It is also water proof, so if you fall in a lake or get caught in the rain, it won't be damaged."

Jason picked up the small device and fiddled with the buttons. It had the look of a wrist watch with a small screen at its center. The words on the screen were big enough to read and the four buttons were labeled. Jason clipped the device around his left wrist and tightened the strap so it would fit his wrist.

"I took the liberty of unloading your backpack and setting you up with a new one. This one has plenty of space and many pouches for you organize your belongings. I trust you will find the padded straps comfortable."

Jason took a look at his black and grey backpack and was immediately impressed. His old one had only two zip-up pouches and was worn out from age. This one had three large zip-up pouches at its center, two small pouches on each side, and a bottle holder on the lower right side. He checked to see if Oak packed everything and found that all was accounted for, with a few added things included. Three black, white and grey T-shirts, four pairs of blue jeans, seven pairs of white socks, and his extra pair of black gloves were folded and placed in the first large pouch. In the middle pouch carried cooking supplies, compliments of Oak himself. There was a small skillet for cooking eggs and meat, a small pot for boiling water, and several items of food contained in plastic bags. The third pouch consisted of Pokemon medicine including potions, antidotes, elixirs, vitamins, and dietary food tablets. The only other pouch that wasn't empty was the upper right, containing a carton of non-filtered cigarettes.

"Finally, we come to your Pokedex. This is the first completed Pokedex to date and shouldn't be too difficult to operate. Point the sensor at the desired Pokemon and press the scanning button. Once the device has finished its cycle, the information will be automatically recorded and stored. There is also a microphone for you to use so that you can record the Pokemon's other traits, such as behavior in the wild or its habitat. This will also carry your Trainer's License, so if a police officer or Pokemon League Official asks for some I.D., you can show them that."

Jason picked up the small device. It was red in color, square in shape, and could be opened like a book. Once opened, the thinner left side had a pair of small headphones placed at its center that were already attached to the device. The right side consisted of a small screen monitor in the center with several labeled buttons on each side of it. The scanning sensor was located on the top left corner of the device while the small microphone was located on the top right corner.

"I made a special pouch on your utility belt for the Pokedex. The other three pouches are empty and yours to use. Your utility belt also has four magnets that connect specifically with the alloy of your Pokeballs, so you won't pick up any other metals on the magnets."

The leather utility belt was dark brown and consisted of four large pouches that buttoned up. The pouch for the Pokedex was on the right side next to the four magnets on the back of the belt.

Suddenly, Walter walked towards the two men with Jason's clothes. He set the clothes down on the floor next to the table and turned his gaze towards Professor Oak.

"Anything else I can do, sir?"

Oak smiled and shook his head. "No, Walter. Thank you very much. Take the rest of the day off and report back here tomorrow morning so we can get a head start on the Psychic-Type report."

Walter anxiously nodded his head and ran towards the stairs. Jason grabbed his boxer shorts and jeans and slipped them on underneath the robe. Once he finished zipping up his jeans, he removed the robe and grabbed his shirt. Oak glanced at Jason's back tattoo with interest, but decided against asking him about it.

"So what's next," asked Jason after he put on his hooded jacket. "Do I take everything here and head out?"

"Oh, no," said Oak. "It's far too dangerous to wander around the wild without a Pokemon companion. I will supply you with your first Pokemon and then you will be on your way. Come with me."

Jason followed Oak to another table in the lab. This table was made of stainless steel, rather than wood. Resting on the hard surface were three enlarged Pokeballs, all with a different emblem engraved above the button. The left Pokeball had a leaf symbol, the middle had a water drop symbol, and the right one had a fire symbol.

"Alright," began Oak. "I will give you one of these three Pokemon to get you started. All three are good Pokemon for beginner trainers. You have your choice of picking Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander."

Oak activated the three Pokeballs, causing the three small creatures to materialize. Bulbasaur was a reptilian creature with dark blue scales and a green, leaf-like pod on its back. It stood on all fours and had a look of pride in its red eyes. Squirtle was a small, bipedal turtle with light blue scales and a durable brown shell on its back. Squirtles were known for their overexcited behavior, and this little one was no exception as it quickly began barking its high pitched chirps at Bulbasaur, wanting to play.

Charmander was the Pokemon that caught Jason's eye. It was a bipedal reptile with light orange scales and a long tail, of which carried a live flame at its tip. Little Charmander gave off a lonely and depressed vibe, keeping his distance from the other two. Charmander even had a visible vertical scar over his left eye, causing the eye color to appear light grey rather than a dark shade of blue.

"What happened to this one," asked Jason.

Oak gave out an expression of pity as he looked at the small Fire-Type. "I found little Charmander in the wild not too far from town. He was previously owned by another trainer. After that scumbag abused the little one on account of not winning a battle, he abandoned him. I knew he was abused by a trainer because I was the one who gave Charmander to the trainer. It absolutely astounds me that people would treat their Pokemon like this."

Jason kneeled down and faced Charmander. The little Fire-Type turned his head away with fear in his eyes and paced back a few steps. To Jason, this was a walk down memory lane, for he knew all too well about what it felt like to be abused in such a manner.

In an attempt to reassure Charmander, Jason grabbed a few food tablets from his backpack and set them down in front of Charmander. The small lizard Pokemon glanced at the food a few times and then at Jason, looking into the young man's eyes and hoping that Jason wasn't like his other trainer. Jason gave Charmander a small smile, trying to get the little creature to understand that he wasn't going to hurt him.

Finally, Charmander brought his snout to the food and sniffed at it. He grabbed one of the tablets with his tongue and chewed it quickly, immediately enjoying its taste. After he ate the rest of the food, Charmander walked towards Jason and sniffed at his hand. Jason kept his sights on Charmander as the little lizard Pokemon studied him. Charmander turned his gaze to Jason's eyes and took a step closer to the young man. After a brief moment of silence between the two, Charmander finally barked at Jason playfully, wagging his tail in excitement.

Jason let out a big smile. "I'll take him. What did you say his name was?"

"His species name is Charmander," said Oak.

"Hmm, Charmander, huh? How about a simpler name? I think I'll call you………. Char."

Charmander tilted his head at the sound of that name and licked Jason's cheek, causing Jason to chuckle. Jason picked up Charmander by his sides and held him above the table. Charmander's tail continued to wag his tail as Jason held him there. All Oak could do was smile as Jason and Char had their moment.

* * *

Minutes later, Jason and Char followed Oak outside the house. The storm clouds had left the skies, allowing the sun to shine.

"So where should I start," asked Jason.

"Your best bet would be to head north towards Viridian City," suggested Oak. "I have connections throughout the region that will assist you as your journey progresses. Once you reach Viridian City, head over to the Pokemon Center so you can give Char a medical check up. You will also be able to check into a room at the center for free. Just show them your license on your Pokedex and you should be able to stay there for a day. I've taken the liberty of installing a bank account on your PokeGear, so you will receive money from me until you find another way to earn some cash."

Jason nodded and shook Oak's hand. "Thanks for giving me a head start, Sam. I'll call you when I reach Viridian City."

"Good luck, Jason."

And with that, Jason and Char headed north for Route 1. Oak smiled as he watched them leave, for he had a good feeling about Jason. Once Jason and Char were out of site, Oak went inside his house and looked forward for future events.

* * *

_Alrighty then! That's one chapter down! Those of you who have actually read my prior version of this story will obviously see many detail changes, but overall you get the same general concept. I will update weekly to the best of my ability. I do have many areas of business that keep me from my computer at home, but you will see the rest of this story as well as the sequels to come._

_If you guys have any questions about the story, send me a review and I will answer them accordingly. Please send me reviews! I accept flames for helpful critisism, so don't be affraid of hurting me feelings. I've had my share of flames in the past, don't worry! See ya next chapter!_

_Check ya later!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Alrighty then! This chapter is not much different from the first. It gives the reader a chance to really grasp the world of a Pokemon trainer through the eyes of a tormented beginer. Here we see Jason travel through Route 1 to Viridian City and the events during this time. Very little action in this, and for that I apologize. My goal in this is to give the reader a chance to get to know Jason and Char as they train and travel. Anyway, onward with the chapter!

* * *

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**Chapter 2: The Beginning Journey**

Hours after Jason and Char left the Pallet Town city limits and into the woods of Route 1, Jason had yet to see any wild Pokemon to study. Route 1 was a wooded area many miles away from the many highways that lead to each city. Jason chose to avoid the highways so that he could concentrate his attention on his Pokedex as well as training Char.

Char always kept very close to Jason as they traveled. Jason made the decision to keep Char out of his Pokeball so that Char could get more and more attached to his new trainer. As they traveled, Char kept his legs very active, running circles around Jason every now and then and barking at Jason to play with him. Jason would answer Char's calls by chasing him throughout the woods until he would finally catch up to the little lizard Pokemon.

After five hours of walking, Jason decided to find a spot to rest. He sat down with his back against a large tree and dug into a pouch on his utility belt for a pack of cigarettes and his Zippo lighter. Char watched as Jason lit up a smoke with curiosity in his reptilian eyes. As Jason inhaled the smoke he glanced over at Char and smirked with his cigarette hanging from his lips.

Char noticed the smoke blowing from Jason's nostrils. Trying to mimic his trainer, Char took a deep breath of air and blew out smoke from his nostrils. Jason laughed at Char's actions and took another puff. This time, Jason blew a smoke ring towards Char. The ring of smoke slowly traveled towards the curious lizard Pokemon until it hit Char's snout, causing it to spread and vanish. Char shook his head and sneezed, causing Jason to laugh again. To Jason's surprise, another smoke ring floated towards him from Char's mouth. Jason's laughter continued as he clapped his hands, applauding Char's ability to generate smoke from his mouth and nostrils.

Once Jason finished smoking his cigarette, he stood up and looked at Char. "Alright, Char. Let's see what you can do. You ready to do some training?"

Char barked at Jason and performed a back flip in excitement.

"Cool," said Jason after a slight chuckle. "Since you're a Fire-Type, you must be able to do some Fire-Type moves. Can you breathe fire?"

Char turned to his side and took a deep breath. He then leaned his body forward and opened his mouth wide. To Char's disappointment, only a small ember of fire shot out from his mouth, one that vanished inches away from his mouth. Char tried it again with the same outcome, causing his spirits to fade away. Jason noticed this and placed his hand on Char's tiny shoulder after the lizard Pokemon's fifth attempt.

"It's ok, Char," said Jason. "We'll work on that one later."

This was unexpected to Char. He was used to being yelled at if he couldn't perform his trainer's commands. Char let a smile escape his scaly lips, one that Jason couldn't help but return.

"Let's try some of the basics. Do you know how to box?"

Char tilted his head, confused about Jason's question.

"No? Ok, no problem. Gotta learn how to crawl before you can walk. Clench your fists and put them up to your face like this."

Jason brought his fists to each side of his face. Char quickly imitated Jason's movements, excited to learn something new.

"Good," said Jason as he kneeled down in front of Char and held his open hands. "Now I want you to punch my hand as hard as you can with your fist."

Jason hit his own hand to demonstrate what he meant. He then opened his hands back up so that Char could give it a try. Char landed a straight punch on Jason's hand and brought his scaly fist back to his face.

"Not bad. This time, try to put more of your shoulder into it. The more body you put into a punch, the harder the punch will be."

Jason went over the instructions step by step so that Char could understand what he meant. After a slow physical demonstration, Jason readied his hands for Char to punch. This time, Char's punch was a lot harder and even caused Jason to flinch a bit.

"Very good, Char," said Jason as he shook his hand a bit. "Do it again, but with your other hand this time."

For hours at a time, Jason taught Char the basics of physical fighting. Jason had a lot to teach him, for he had been in many street fights as a child. He used his past experience to teach Char good offensive maneuvers, such as punching combinations, kicks, tackles, and even effective ways of using his flaming tail. Because Char was small in size, only reaching just above Jason's knees in height, Jason had difficulty teaching Char defense. Luckily for Jason, Char absorbed his teachings like a sponge, learning each instruction quickly and fluidly. One thing that caught Jason's eye was that the more Char learned, the more the flame on his tail would grow. He concluded that Char's strength resided in how strong the flame was.

The thing that Jason didn't realize was that this method of training would give them an advantage in the future. Most trainers at that time concentrated on specific abilities of the Pokemon when they train them. Jason was opening a brand new door in Pokemon training, and he didn't even realize it.

Finally, after five hours of training, Jason decided to call it a day. It was getting late and the sun had already gone down for the day. Keeping that in mind, Jason thought it might be a good idea to camp out for the night.

Jason began unloading his cooking supplies and prepared a safe spot for a camp fire. Being that the woods was no short of burnable wood, Jason retrieved many sticks and twigs and piled them in the spot, followed by a big rock on top of the pile. As Jason began to prepare the small cooking pot, Char set the pile of wood aflame with his burning tail.

Jason took notice to Char's actions and smiled at his companion. "That tail sure does come in handy. Thanks Char."

Char barked in excitement and sat next to the camp fire. Jason dug through the food area of his backpack and pulled a small bag of meat, followed by a peeled potato and a few other vegetables. He then pulled out his pocket knife and cut up pieces of the food, tossing each piece into the cooking pot. Before he placed the pot full of food on top of the rock over the fire, Jason poured some water from his water bottle into the pot. He then began to stir the liquid and food with a wooden cooking spoon as the food cooked over the heated rock.

Meanwhile, Char dug into Jason's backpack and found a bag of food tablets for him to eat. For a Pokemon, three tablets would cover a full meal for the Pokemon. Char, on the other hand, wasn't satisfied until he ate at least five.

When the food was finally ready to eat, Jason pulled out a bowl from his backpack and poured the meat and vegetable stew. He used a spoon to eat the food as he watched Char finish his fifth food tablet.

Suddenly, a small creature began to shake some nearby bushes, causing Char to bolt his head up and sniff the air. Jason quickly pulled out his Pokedex and searched the area with his eyes. The bushes shook once again, causing Jason to look in that direction. He could hear quiet chirps behind the bushes, and Char slowly began to pace towards the area.

"Char wait," whispered Jason.

Char looked at Jason and walked back towards him with his sights on the bushes. Char's tail was raised straight up and didn't move. Jason kept his finger above the scanning button of his device and waited for the creature to come out of the bushes.

After one more shake from the bush, two rodent-like creatures jumped out of the bush and tackled each other playfully. The creatures were half the overall size of Char and ran on all fours. They had purple fur, thick whiskers and big front teeth. Jason instantly recognized what these little creatures were. They were a pair of Rattata, rodent Pokemon that lived in many areas. There were no shortage of Rattata in his house on Cinnabar Island.

Knowing what they were, Jason ran a scan on one of the Rattata and prepared the microphone. "Rattata," whispered Jason into the microphone. "A rodent Pokemon. It's a common site in cities and lightly wooded areas. Usually keeps itself from conflict, but has been known to be aggressive if threatened."

Jason closed his Pokedex and put it in its pouch while watching the two rodent Pokemon play in the distance. Char remained cautious as he watched them. After a few minutes of wrestling around, the two Rattata ran away with haste. Char calmed himself and relaxed his tail while Jason cleaned up the dinner mess. He used the rest of his water bottle to wash the cooking pot and threw dirt on the fire to extinguish it. After he put everything away in his backpack, he rested his back and head against a tree and closed his eyes.

Before Jason could fall to sleep, he felt Char burrow his head into his stomach, trying to get comfortable so he too could get some rest. Jason lifted Char up slightly and placed the little lizard Pokemon's head on his forearm and the rest of his body on Jason's lap. Char gave out one last yawn and relaxed into his slumber. Jason readjusted himself slightly for comfort and soon fell asleep.

* * *

_Jason came home from work one day to see his mother being yelled at by her new boyfriend, Harry. She wore a blue bathrobe and held a liquor bottle in her hand. Her eyes were flushed, she had smeared make-up on, and her long blond hair was tangled and strung out. Harry grabbed her wrist and cursed at her while holding a yellow sheet of paper._

_"What the hell is this," shouted Harry in her ear. "A goddamn eviction notice?"_

_"Hey," shouted Jason. "Let go of her now!"_

_Harry glanced at Jason and kept his grip tight. "This ain't your business, kid. Walk away."_

_"My mother is my business, you son of a bitch! Let her go and get the hell out!"_

_"Oh, you wanna be a tough guy?"_

_"Harry, don't," muttered Jason's mother, obviously drunk. "He's just a kid."_

_"I don't give a shit what he is," spat Harry. "You better start walking, boy, before I do some damage you won't walk away from."_

_"Harry," muttered Jason's mother. "Leave him alone. He doesn't know any better."_

_Harry slapped Jason's mother hard in the face, forcing her to the ground. Jason ran towards Harry and grabbed his black jacket. He then pushed the abusive drunk to the wall and pounded away at his gut, throwing punch after punch as hard as he could._

_"Jason stop," shouted his mother as she ran towards them and grabbed Jason's wrist._

_Jason halted his assault and turned his sights towards his mother. Harry used this distraction to his advantage and threw his knee towards Jason's groin. Jason shouted at the pain he felt and fell to his knees, allowing Harry to shove him down on his back and mount him. Harry then pounded on Jason's face until blood covered his skin. Satisfied, Harry stood up above Jason and wiped the blood from his hands on Jason's white T-shirt. Jason remained on the tan carpet breathing heavily from the pain he felt as more blood oozed from his many facial cuts._

_"Screw this," said Harry as he walked towards the front door. "I don't need this 'poor me' bullshit. I'm gone."_

_Tears ran from Jason's mother's eyes as she ran towards Harry. "No please don't leave, baby!"_

_"Get off of me, bitch," spat Harry as he shoved her off of his arm and slammed the door behind him._

_Jason slowly stood up to his feet and grabbed a few paper towels from the kitchen, using them to wipe off the blood from his face. His mother stomped her way into the kitchen and slapped Jason hard in the face._

_"Why did you have to hit him? Now he won't come back!"_

_"What the hell was I supposed to do," Jason shouted back. "I'm not gonna let that asshole hit you like that! I was just trying to help!"_

_"And now we have no money! I want you out of my house! Pack your things and get out!"_

_Sorrow filled Jason's eyes. "Mom, where am I supposed to go?"_

_"I don't care! Get out!"_

_"……mom-"_

_"GET OUT!"

* * *

_

Jason bolted his head upward from his slumber. His nightmare caused him to sweat and breathe heavily. Realizing that it was after dawn, Jason rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and took off his hooded jacket. He then realized that Char was not on his lap and was nowhere in sight. To add to his rude awakening, he noticed that a Rattata was digging into his backpack.

Before he could do anything, Char suddenly lunged at the rodent Pokemon and tackled it to the ground. Char held the Rattata's arms back and sat on its back, prohibiting any movement. As the little Rattata squirmed and struggled to free itself, Jason watched at how well Char kept it in place. That was a take down maneuver that Char had a hard time learning yesterday. Jason was impressed and proud of Char for performing the move without flaw.

"Nice move, Char," said Jason with a smile. "Go ahead and let it go. I don't think it wants our food anymore."

Char nodded at Jason and jumped off the Rattata. The rodent Pokemon ran as fast as it could once it was free from Char's grasp. Jason stood up to his feet and grabbed his backpack while Char wagged his tail, waiting for Jason to start walking.

"Well, I guess we better get moving. Viridian City shouldn't be too far. I think we can make it before dinner time."

Char barked at Jason in excitement. Jason smiled and started walking north for Viridian City, followed closely by Char.

* * *

Jason and Char reached Viridian City by dusk of the same day. Jason immediately caught a bad vibe from this place. Though there weren't many tall buildings, the city was a little crowded with high class people wearing business suits and rambling on their cell phones. Jason took a look at his attire and felt rather unwelcome in a place like this. Luckily, the city's Pokemon Center was in sight and wasn't far away. Jason picked up Char so that he wouldn't be trampled by hundreds of expensive shoes and walked towards the Pokemon Center. 

Once inside Jason sighed profoundly, relieved that he was out of that high class mess. The center was large in size but very few people were present. Directly in front of him was the main desk, where an attractive redheaded lady in a simple white nurse uniform waited to help the customers. Jason approached the front desk and was greeted with a big smile from the nurse.

"Well, hello there," said the nurse. "Welcome to the Viridian City Pokemon Center. My name is Joy. How can I help you?"

"Well, I'm here to give my friend here a check-up," said Jason as he lifted Char a little higher. "Where do I go for that?"

Joy took a look at Char and smiled even brighter than before. "Aww, he's adorable! Just hand him over to me and I'll take good care of him."

Jason looked at Char and asked, "Are you gonna be ok, buddy?"

Char glanced at Joy and nodded at Jason for approval. Jason chuckled and set him down on the desk.

"Check-up order number seven," said Joy into the microphone on her desk.

Suddenly, the door behind Joy opened and out came a peculiar looking pink creature pushing a small table. The Pokemon, Chansey, was round in appearance and was about the height of an average man. It had wing-like ears and carried an egg-shaped object in its stomach pouch. Joy lifted Char and gently placed him on the table.

"He should be ready for you to pick up in a matter of minutes," said Joy as Chansey took Char into the other room. "Now then, I need to see your trainer's license, otherwise I'll have to charge you for the check-up."

Jason nodded and retrieved his Pokedex. He opened the Pokedex and displayed his license for the nurse to see.

"Hmm," said Joy. "Is that supposed to be the new trainer's license?"

"It will be. It still needs some development, but soon every trainer will have one of these."

"That's interesting. Oh, would you like to stay here one night? Trainers with licenses are offered one free night after a check-up."

"That would be great. One more thing, though. Do you guys have a designated smoking area?"

"Yes we do. Outside."

Jason sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"New in town," asked Joy jokingly.

Jason chuckled and headed for the front door of the center. As he lit up a smoke, he pulled out his Pokedex and put on the headphones attached to it. He sat down on the ground with his back rested on the wall of the center and listened to his recorded notes he made about his entries: Charmander, Rattata, Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Spearow, and Nidoran. He went over each entry thoroughly, making sure he didn't leave anything important out. Minutes later, once he was convinced that his notes were fine as is, Jason threw out his cigarette and went back inside to check on Char.

As Jason headed back for the front desk, he could see that Joy was waiting for him with Char sitting on the desk. "Oh good, you made it out alive," said Joy.

"Cute," said Jason. "How's Char doing?"

"He's very healthy, and he was a good boy while in check-up," Joy said as she pet Char's head. "Here's the key to your room. Return it back to this desk tomorrow morning."

Joy gave a small key to Jason with a small piece of paper attached to it, labeling the room number. Jason picked up Char and set him down on the floor, saying his good-byes to Joy as he and Char headed for the stairway leading to the upper levels. Once Jason found his room, he used the key to enter the room and went inside. The room was small with only a bathroom breaking the simplicity. Jason stripped off his utility belt and set it and his backpack on the bed. Relieved that he would get to sleep in a bed, he threw himself on the bed and closed his eyes.

Jason opened his eyes all of the sudden and remembered that he had yet to put Char in his Pokeball. He sat up and looked at Char wandering about the room. Jason knew that there wasn't a safe place for Char to sleep, being that he had a living flame on his tail. Because Jason had already grown quite attached to Char's company, he didn't want to put Char in his Pokeball. His mind made up, he put his belt back on and grabbed his backpack, heading for the door with Char following closely behind.

After Jason checked out of the Pokemon Center, he decided to head for the southern city limits to camp out. By this time, the sun had gone down and the stars were ever present in the sky. Once Jason found a good camping spot he prepared dinner for him and Char and enjoyed the fresh night air before falling into their much need sleep for the night.

* * *

_And that's that with this chapter! Like it? Tell me! The next chapter will consist of Jason's first few Pokemon battles as well as a cameo of one of the show's (and game's) most feared villian. Now that most of the details regarding Jason's travels have been described (i.e. camping, visiting a Pokemon Center, Pokedex recordings, ect.), most of those details should appear to be pretty self-explanitory and will be discussed much less as the story progresses. In other words, there will be fewer areas in which it seems like I'm dragging the scene longer than it needs to._

_So anyways, Chapter 3 should be posted within the week if possible. I'll try to keep a fixed schedule on chapter posting so that you can look forward to specific dates for each chapter. See ya next chapter!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Alrighty then! In this chapter, we get to see Jason have his first battle against another Pokemon trainer as well as discover a new town at the other end of the forest. You will also see Jasn try for his first Gym badge much later towards the end of this chapter, with a surprise to go with it! Oh yes! This should be loads of fun! Enjoy!

* * *

_

**Chapter 3: A Vast Forest And Another Small Town**

It was midday in Viridian City. The sun's rays shined the whole of the town and the many townsfolk paced about the sidewalks wearing their business uniforms. The high-priced cars were driven at steady speeds throughout the clean roads while numerous Flying-Type Pokemon filled the blue skies and rested in the trees.

Near the northern city limits, Jason and Char were well on their way towards the vast Viridian Forest on Route 2, the only way possible for them to reach Pewter City near Mt. Moon. Once they were nearly out of the mass crowd of people in town, Jason gazed upon the wooden sign impaling the grassy ground.

"THIS WAY TO VIRIDIAN CITY," was what the sign read.

Eager to leave this place, Jason quickened his pace towards Route 2, not paying attention to the two business suit clad men walking towards him. Jason bumped right into the taller of the two men, who wore a dark business suit and had very short black hair. Not wanting to engage into a conflict, Jason made a quick attempt to apologize.

"Sorry about that," said Jason. "I guess I'm in too much of a hurry to-"

The shorter man in a maroon business suit interrupted Jason by pushing him with both hands. "Why don't you watch where the hell you're going," shouted the shorter man.

"Take it easy, pal. I said I'm sorry."

The short man walked right up to Jason with his face inches away from the other. "I'm not your pal, and you better watch your tone. You just bumped into Giovanni, and if you don't watch it you'll end up in a body bag."

Jason had had enough. He clenched his fists and looked the short man dead in the eyes. Giovanni watched the two with a slight smirk.

"If you wanna intimidate me," said Jason quietly, "then you better move something other than your jaw. Now get out of my face before I rearrange yours."

The shorter man smirked and took a step back. Suddenly, the shorter man pulled his fist back, ready to throw it at Jason's face. Jason, however, was ready. He blocked the short man's punch and threw a strong right hook, one that sent the short man falling to the ground. Jason immediately threw his backpack to the floor and waited for Giovanni to make his move. Char stood next to Jason with a glare of warning, growling at Giovanni and showing his sharp teeth. Giovanni kept his evil smirk as he pulled out a cigar and lit it.

"I like your style, kid," said Giovanni as smoke blew out of his mouth.

Jason, seeing that Giovanni had no intention of fighting, picked up his backpack and quickly strapped it to his shoulders. "You should keep that guy on a leash. He's gonna end up pissing off the wrong man.

Jason motioned for Char to follow him as he walked towards the city limits. Giovanni watched as the two headed for Route 2, his smirk still intact.

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Jason and Char traveled deep into the dark woods of Viridian Forest for hours, finding out just how difficult these woods are to navigate. The trees were massive in size and grew very close together, making it difficult for the sun to shine through to the ground. With what little light there was and the addition to the humid fog spread throughout the area, Jason was thankful for Char's flaming tail.

The moisture in the air was enough to make Jason's hair frizz up slightly. The moisture didn't weaken the flame on Char's tail, but it did irritate the small lizard Pokemon. Being that he was a Fire-Type that depended on the strength of his tail, his skin was vulnerable to the moisture in the air. Luckily, there weren't many wild Pokemon in the forest, at least not that they could see. The Pokemon that actually were in sight were small Bug-Types such as Caterpie, Metapod, Weedle, and Kakuna. These creatures dwelled in the trees above and kept their distance from the travelers.

Jason and Char halted their advance once they reached a large pond. The lack of trees growing from underneath the water allowed the sun to shine and illuminate the area, removing the fog and the almost overwhelming moisture. Jason noticed many more Bug-Types drinking from the pond, as well as a few Flyers including Pidgey and Spearow. The Flyers neglected hunting the Bugs in the area, giving the pond a very peaceful vibe.

Jason set his backpack down and rested his back against a nearby tree. He then retrieved his Pokedex and scanned the area, recording new notes about two new Pokemon entries, Oddish and Paras. As Jason kept his sights on the new Grass-Types, Char leaned his body forward and licked the water from the pond.

Suddenly, Char picked up a scent from behind. He quickly turned around and sniffed the air with his tail pointing straight up. Once Char picked up the scent, realizing that it was growing stronger, Char began to growl softly and paced forward slowly.

Jason took notice to Char's behavior and squatted down next to his Pokemon companion. "What is it?"

Char continued to growl and kept his sights ahead, waiting for something to come out of the nearby fog. Finally, a small rodent-like creature emerged from the fog and sniffed the ground as it paced closer and closer to the pond. Jason's eyes widened at the sight of the yellow furred creature.

"I'll be damned," whispered Jason. "That's a wild Pikachu. I thought they only lived near cities."

Char's growling became louder as the Pikachu continued to come closer. Jason eased Char's cautious sounds by placing his hand on his back.

"It's alright, Char. I don't think this thing wants any trouble."

Suddenly, the little Pikachu caught the scent of Jason and Char and halted his movements, staring at them with his flat tail sticking straight up.

"Char," whispered Jason. "Try talking to it. See what it wants to do."

Char slowly walked towards Pikachu. The little mouse Pokemon's curiosity took over as it wagged its tail sniffed at Char. It then chirped its mouse sounds at the lizard Pokemon and pranced around, urging Char to play. Char chased after Pikachu towards the pond, trying to catch the little rodent. Jason couldn't help but smile as the two continued to play along the pond.

Pikachu finally caught a glance of Jason and stopped its prancing with Char. Its curiosity ever present, it slowly approached Jason's feet and sniffed his boots. Jason reached for his backpack and grabbed a food tablet, holding it in front of Pikachu. The rodent's ears twitched as it sniffed the food, interested in its scent. It grabbed the food tablet with its mouth and paced back a few steps quickly. After Pikachu finished chewing the tablet, it jumped on Jason's lap and sniffed his face.

To Jason's surprise, Pikachu eventually began to snug its head on Jason's hand, urging him to pet it. This was very unexpected to Jason, being that most wild Pikachu were skittish and were frightened easily. As Jason began petting Pikachu's head and neck, he felt a leathery strap underneath its fur. Jason soon realized that this little guy was previously owned and its trainer was no where in sight. There were no tags on the collar, but judging from the leather strap's brown color Jason assumed that Pikachu was a male.

Jason began to pet under Pikachu's chin and massaged his brown cheeks. Once his thumbs made contact with the mouse Pokemon's cheeks, Jason felt a strong electronic surge enter his hand and flinched at the sudden shock.

"Hey," said Jason as he bolted his hands back. "You……. shocked me."

Although he had no intention of keeping Pikachu, he figured a name would fit the mood while the little rodent hung around.

"That's what we'll call you. Shocker."

Pikachu responded to that name by twitching his ears. He liked the sound of the name and licked Jason's chin for approval. Jason grabbed a few more food tablets from his backpack and fed them to Shocker and Char. After they ate, Char and Shocker continued to play near the pond while Jason set up camp, knowing that it would be dark soon and this seemed like a good spot to rest for the night.

* * *

The next morning, Jason woke up to the sounds of Char and Shocker playing near the pond. Apparently, Char was teaching Shocker a few moves Jason had taught him. Jason watched as Char would physically demonstrate a type of submission move and then allow Shocker to give it a try.

As Jason watched the two Pokemon practice the techniques, a short figure walked towards the camp wearing a large hat. Jason heard the footsteps approaching and stood to his feet.

"Who's there?"

The figure came closer out of the fog and could see Jason and his Pokemon companions. "Hey, are you a Pokemon trainer?"

Jason took a look at the boy approaching him. He was young, roughly thirteen or fifteen years of age, and carried a large net attached to a wooden stick.

"Maybe," said Jason. "Who wants to know?"

"I do," responded the boy. "I've been searching the woods for trainers to battle with. I've been here for a few days, but I haven't found anybody until now. You interested?"

Jason raised one eyebrow and looked to Char. This kid was young and probably a beginner, but so was Jason. He and Char had only been traveling for a few days, and the only experience the little Fire-Type had had was wrestling around with a few Rattata. Then again, Char had been previously owned, and therefore he might have had a few battles with his prior trainer.

"What are the terms of the battle, kid," asked Jason.

"My Pokemon versus yours. When one of our Pokemon faints or can't fight anymore for what ever reason, the match is over. What do ya say?"

Char barked at Jason with excitement. Jason gave the match a brief moment's thought and finally turned his sights to the young trainer.

"Alright, kid. You've got yourself a match."

"Alright! Let's do this!"

Jason stood twenty feet away from his opponent with Char standing next to him. Shocker stood behind Jason and watched as the young trainer reached for a Pokeball on his belt. Char looked right into the eyes of the young trainer until, finally, the boy released his Pokemon from the Pokeball.

From the energy beam of the Pokeball materialized a Pokemon that Jason had never seen before. The Pokemon, Beedrill, was a three foot tall insect-like Pokemon with four thin wings, large blade-like stubs for hands, slender arms and legs and a thick stinger at the bottom of its abdomen. Beedrill hovered over the ground with its blindingly fast wings and clanged its stub hands, trying to intimidate Char.

Char, on the other hand, ignored Beedrill's gesture and ran towards the insect with intent to attack. Char lunged at Beedrill with his fist extended outward. Beedrill made a fast get-away by hovering to the left and flying higher into the air. Once Char landed on his feet, he quickly turned around and kept his sights on the flying menace.

"Use your Twineedle attack on him, Beedrill," shouted the young trainer.

"Watch out for those stubs, Char," said Jason. Wait for it to get close and bring it down!"

Beedrill made a fast dive for Char with its stubs extended outward. Char waited for it to get close enough and made a backwards roll, barely missing Beedrill's attack and burning the underbelly of Beedrill with the flame on his tail. The surprise counter caused Beedrill to crash face first into the ground, giving Char a chance to quickly get up and charge Beedrill.

Beedrill quickly flapped its wings and hovered above the ground. Char stopped dead in his tracks as Beedrill turned around to face him. Beedrill flew higher and higher into the air and slowly flew circles around Char below, stalking its opponent.

"Use your stinger, Beedrill!"

"Char," shouted Jason. "Use the move I taught you the other day! Wait for that thing to get closer and wave that tail as fast as you can!"

Beedrill jiggled abdomen frantically, causing its stinger to extend. Beedrill then flew towards Char at high speed with its stinger pointed at him. Char turned around and waved his tail back and forth, which in turn caused numerous little Embers to fly towards Beedrill. Dozens of little Embers collided with Beedrill's sensitive exoskeleton, causing Beedrill to crash into the ground as Char rolled out of the way.

As Beedrill landed hard on its face, Char pounced on the flying insect's back. To Char's surprise, Beedrill raised its abdomen high enough for the stinger to puncture Char's shoulder. Beedrill held Char to the ground with its stinger still impaled, causing Char great pain as Beedrill's poison numbed out Char's shoulder.

Before Jason had a chance to give Char more instruction, the flame on Char's tail grew in size. Char swung his tail towards Beedrill's underbelly and shoved its abdomen away. Before Beedrill had time to react, Char tackled Beedrill from behind and threw punch after punch at Beedrill's sides. Despite his small arms, Char was able to inflict great damage on Beedrill with each punch. Beedrill managed to evade Char by taking flight, forcing Char to back away to avoid being hit by Beedrill's fast wings.

Unfortunately for Beedrill, Char had the upper hand with Beedrill's back turned. Char swung his tail back and forth in Beedrill's direction once again. Due to the flame's larger size, the Embers that were flung towards Beedrill were larger as well. The Embers hit Beedrill's back and wings, causing the flying insect to crash down to the ground one last time. Beedrill did not move once it landed. It was down for the count, claiming Jason and Char the victor.

Jason raised his fist in the air once the younger trainer recalled Beedrill back to its Pokeball. Char turned around and ran towards Jason with a bright smile spread across his scaly lips. Suddenly, Char's fire became smaller in size and his pace became slower and slower until he finally fell to his knees.

Jason's eyes widened at Char's weakened state. "Oh no! Char!"

He ran as fast as he could, followed closely by Shocker, and fell to his knees in front of Char. He gently placed his hand on Char's back as Shocker made his mouse sounds, worried about Char's well-being. Char held on to the area that was stung by Beedrill and winced at the pain he felt.

The younger trainer walked towards them with concern in his eyes. He was disappointed that he lost, but he didn't want Char badly hurt.

"Hang in there, Char," whispered Jason. "You're gonna be alright."

Jason finally took notice to the young trainer's approach.

"Go get my backpack," shouted Jason. "He needs an antidote!"

The younger trainer nodded and ran towards Jason's backpack near the pond. As the boy looked for an antidote, Jason rubbed Char's head and massaged his neck, trying to keep Char calm.

"It's ok, Char," whispered Jason with a small smile. "You won the match. I'm gonna make you feel better, don't worry."

The younger trainer ran towards Jason and handed him a small blue container. Jason used the spray nozzle to spray the liquid on Char's wound, causing Char to yelp.

"It's ok," said Jason as he continued rubbing Char's head. "It will only hurt for a second."

Jason gave Char one last spray and put the antidote container aside. Char took deep breaths as the liquid started to heal the wound, while Shocker watched eagerly as Char slowly began to recover from the sting. After a few seconds, the wound was gone and Char was able to stand up again. He smiled at Jason as the flame on his tail grew back to its normal size, causing Jason to laugh.

"Good match," said the boy. "My Beedrill didn't stand a chance."

Jason turned his sights to the boy as he stood up to his feet. "Thanks kid. You're no slouch either."

The boy smiled and reached into his pocket. He then pulled out some money and handed it to Jason.

"What's this," asked Jason.

"You won the match. I owe you a third of my money."

Jason frowned at the boy. "Why do you owe me? We never made a wager."

The young trainer shook his head and chuckled. "You really are a beginner aren't you? In any match, the loser has to give the winner a third of whatever he has on him. It's how a Pokemon trainer makes a living."

Jason shook his head and smiled. "I'll have to remember that. Thanks for being honest."

Jason counted the money he received. He then put the twenty dollars in his jeans pocket and shook the boy's hand.

"Thanks for the match," said the boy.

"No problem. Take care of yourself, kid."

The boy nodded and walked back into the fog. Jason watched the boy leave until he was no longer in sight, thinking about what had just happened. Maybe he could use this lifestyle to make a living while he continued Professor Oak's expedition. He also figured that this could be a way for him and Char to gain recognition. Looking forward to future events, he pressed a button on his PokeGear and made a call to Professor Oak. The wrist computer's speaker allowed Jason to hear the ring tone five times before he heard the Professor's voice.

_"Hello,"_ said Oak.

Jason brought the PokeGear closer to his lips and said, "Sam, it's Jason."

_"Oh, well hello there Jason! Where are you?"_

"I'm somewhere in Viridian Forest."

_"Oh my! You aren't lost, are you?"_

"No no…… at least not yet. Anyway, I don't need anymore money in that account you set up for me. I think I've found a way to earn some cash."

_"Let me guess: Pokemon battles."_

Jason couldn't help but smile. "It's a game of chance, I know, but I think I'll be ok. Char and I just had our first battle and he did pretty damn good."

Oak couldn't help but laugh. _"I'm actually surprise you didn't think of this before. I had a feeling that this would happen. If you want to be a competitor among the other trainers out there, then I have no objection. However, since you are technically working for me, don't be afraid to ask for money in case you lose some along the way."_

"Will do, Sam."

_"How are things, by the way? Have you made any entries to the Pokedex?"_

Jason grabbed his red device from his utility belt and checked the number of entries. "So far, I've made twelve entries."

_"Hmm, not bad at all. Keep up the good work, Jason. Now I'm afraid I must let you go. I have guests to entertain at the moment."_

"Gotcha. I'll talk to you later."

Jason pressed the 'hang-up' button on his PokeGear and turned his gaze towards Char and Shocker. They were playing near the pond, chasing each other back and forth. The very site of such affection made Jason smile. Maybe Char will have another friend soon once they have to say good-bye to Shocker.

Jason headed towards the camp and prepared breakfast for all three. As soon as they finished eating, Jason and Char ventured farther into the forest with Shocker following close behind. At first Jason tried to get Shocker to leave and look for his trainer, but he eventually gave in and let Shocker follow them.

* * *

Six days later, Jason had finally, made it out of Viridian Forest and into Pewter City. In the time Jason spent back in the forest, he had encountered a few other Pokemon trainers and challenged all of them. He came out the victor in each battle, gaining Char plenty of experience. He even let Shocker fight a couple of times, whom did exceptionally well.

Pewter City was rather small compared to Viridian City. It was composed of mainly neighborhoods with houses for the middle class. There wasn't a downtown area, nor were there many large building complexes. The only building complexes that were visible to Jason were a museum located in the northern part of town, the Pokemon Center, and a building labeled 'PEWTER CITY GYM.'

Jason felt a good vibe in this town. The people were quiet but polite, the air was clean, the few trees scattered about town were small in size, and the city was located at the foot of Mt. Moon, a large mountain that people would climb in search of mysterious finds and wild Pokemon.

Jason headed straight for the Pokemon Center, knowing that Char needed a check-up and it would be a good place to keep Shocker until his trainer showed up. Once inside, he walked towards the front desk with Char in his arms. No one was behind the front desk, so he waited for someone to show up.

Suddenly, a redheaded woman in a simple white nurse uniform walked through the door behind the front desk. Jason stared at her with shock in his eyes, for the woman looked exactly like Nurse Joy in Viridian City.

"Hello there," said the nurse with a bright smile.

Jason couldn't make a response. He was taken aback that Nurse Joy was here before him. The nurse began to get a little annoyed at Jason's staring, so she snapped her fingers at him.

"It's not polite to stare, you know," she said with a slight giggle, snapping Jason back to reality.

Jason shook his head and rubbed his eyes before looking at her again. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with his eye sight, he looked at her with the same look of shock, causing her to giggle again with a slight blush.

"How did you get here so fast," asked Jason.

The nurse tilted her head and said, "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"Well….. yeah! I saw you about a week ago. You were working at the Pokemon Center in Viridian."

The nurse frowned at Jason. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've lived here all my life. I haven't been in Viridian City for three years."

Jason and Char looked at each other with the same look of confusion. They brought their sights back to the bright smiling nurse, causing her to cover her mouth in attempt to contain her laughter.

"Ok… uh…… Well, I'm here to give my friend here a check-up," said Jason uneasily.

"Aww, he's so adorable," said the nurse as she began to pet Char's head.

At this point Jason was beside himself. Not only did this woman look like Nurse Joy, she acted like her as well. Deciding not to look too far into the situation, he shook off his thoughts and picked up Shocker.

"One more thing," began Jason. "I found this little guy in the forest. He has a collar on him, so I assumed he was owned by someone else."

"Aww, poor thing. Well, nobody has reported a lost Pikachu here. I can keep him here, but I have to release him into the wild after three days."

Jason looked at Shocker with concern in his eyes. Shocker was a domestic Pikachu who was used to being around people on a daily basis. He knew that if Shocker were released into the wild he wouldn't last very long on his own. After a moment's thought, he turned his sights over to the nurse.

"If nobody come for him in three days, I'll take him."

"Ok then," said the nurse. "May I see your Trainer's License, please?"

Jason grabbed his Pokedex and showed it to the nurse. The nurse eyed the Pokedex with curiosity and gave it back to Jason.

"Is that the new Trainer's License," asked the nurse.

"It will be-" Jason cut himself off, realizing that he was repeating the same thing he said to Nurse Joy in Viridian City.

The nurse smiled once again and asked, "Would you like to stay one night?"

"No thanks," said Jason. "I'm more of an outdoor sleeper."

"But look at yourself," said the nurse with a frown. "You're filthy! You should at least take a shower and wash your clothes."

Jason took a look at his appearance and realized that she was right. His skin was a bit grimy from sweat and his clothes were covered in dirt. He also hadn't shaved since he left Pallet Town, giving him a light five o'clock shadow outlining his jaw line and lips.

"Here," said the nurse as she handed Jason a small room key. "Go upstairs and get yourself cleaned up. The room I gave you is next to the laundry room, so you'll be able to wash your clothes. Your Pokemon will be ready for you when you're done."

Jason took the key and said, "Thanks Nurse….." he took a moment to look at the nurse's nametag and was even more surprised to see that her name was, "Joy?"

"That's me. Now get going and clean yourself off. You won't attract the ladies looking like you do now."

Jason shook his head and put Char down on the desk counter. He turned around and walked towards the stairway, but stopped and turned around again to face Joy.

"Do you have any sisters," Jason asked.

Joy shook her head and said, "Nope, but I do have two older brothers."

"Gotcha," said Jason as he slowly turned back around and walked upstairs. Joy couldn't help but smile at Jason's reaction, letting out giggles as she watched him go upstairs.

"Definitely a beginner," said Joy as she sent Char and Shocker for their check-up.

* * *

About an hour later, Jason came back downstairs in clean clothes and skin. His five o'clock shadow remained, being that he decided to let his facial hair grow out. He approached the front desk to see Nurse Joy, Shocker and Char waiting for him, with Joy smiling her trademark smile as usual.

"Ah, much better now," said Joy. "Although you might have looked better if you shaved."

Jason caressed his stubble and smirked. "You never know. Some girls might like the raggedy look."

"I suppose," said Joy with a slight blush. "Here's your little friend. Nobody came for poor little Pikachu yet. I don't think he wants his old trainer to pick him up, though. He looked a little sad when he watched you leave."

Shocker chirped at Jason with excitement as he came closer to the desk, obviously happy to see him. Jason tickled Shocker's chin and then turned his sights to Char. What caught Jason's eye was that Char had a slight bump on the top of his head, nearly two inches in length.

"What happened," asked Jason. "Did he hit his head or something?"

Joy shook her head and said, "He came in this way. It's not bruised so I don't think he was hit."

Jason frowned as he took a closer look. The bump had a point at its tip, making it appear to be a small horn. He shrugged off the thought and picked him up from the desk. Shocker chirped again at Jason, wanting him to pick him up.

"I'm not your trainer, Shocker. I can't take you with me."

Shocker pouted at Jason, causing the trainer to sigh in defeat. He set Char down and picked up the little mouse Pokemon. Shocker smiled and chirped again, making Jason laugh.

"Will you keep an eye out for me," asked Jason to Joy.

Joy nodded and said, "If anybody comes looking for him, I'll let them know that you're still in town."

"Thanks," said Jason as he set Shocker down and headed for the front door, followed closely by Char and Shocker.

* * *

After about another hour of sightseeing, Jason and his companions stood in front of the Pewter City Gym. The building was set up like a small arena. It was round in shape and large in size, roughly two stories high and about half as wide as a football field.

Jason opened the door and went inside to see a dark and massive room. The area was lit up with spotlights above on the ceiling and the rocky surface of the ground had a few boulders of different sizes strung out in random places. At the other end of the arena were three figures. In the middle was a middle-aged man with long, spiky brown hair and only wore a pair of brown pants. Standing next to him on his right side was a peculiar Rock-Type Pokemon with only two visible appendages, Geodude. To the man's left was another peculiar looking man-sized Ground-Type Pokemon with massive claws on its hands and feet and had the look of an overgrown mole, Sandslash.

Jason began to walk towards the three figures when his footsteps were halted at the man's voice. "You seek to challenge me for the Boulder badge," he asked in a deep voice.

Jason's interest sparked up another level. "What's so special about the Boulder badge?"

The man chuckled and said, "You must be a beginner. The Boulder badge is one of eight Pokemon League sponsored badges in Kanto. It is a sign of your skill as a Pokemon trainer and will bring you one step closer to a Pokemon League Tournament. The region of Kanto holds the Indigo Plateau League, the world's most prestigious and challenging of all Pokemon League tournaments."

Jason narrowed his eyes at the man. This Pokemon League intrigued Jason in a way that filled him with hope. Maybe this would be his way to make something more of himself. He looked at Char and kneeled down next to him.

"You think you're ready, Char," whispered Jason.

Char nodded and pounded on his hand, showing Jason how ready he was. Jason smiled and turned his gaze back to the man.

"I challenge you for the Boulder badge."

The man smiled and said, "Very well. My Pokemon versus yours, and we do not stop until one of us has no more Pokemon to battle with."

The man gestured his hand at Geodude, telling it to step forward. Geodude, cracked its rocky knuckles and used its arms to walk towards Jason and Char.

Jason studied Geodude's movements and whispered to Char, "Alright, buddy. That thing doesn't look very fast, but I'm betting it's pretty strong. Make it swing and miss until it tires out, then you'll own 'em."

Char nodded and stepped forward into the arena. Geodude snarled at Char as the little Fire-Type stretched his arms and legs. The two Pokemon starred each other down for a brief moment until, finally, the Gym leader shouted his command.

"Crush 'em, Geodude," shouted the Gym leader.

Geodude ran towards Char with its arms at a surprisingly fast speed. Char waited for Geodude to lounge at him and rolled underneath it, burning Geodude's underbelly with his tail in the process. Geodude wasn't affected badly by Char's flaming tail and quickly turned around to charge at him again. Char jumped to his left side, barely dodging another lunge from Geodude.

Geodude landed on the ground and pounded the rocky surface with its thick hands, frustrated by Char's agility. It lunged at Char again, this time with its right fist extended outward. Char used the Rock-Type's momentum by grabbing Geodude's fist and swinging it around, flinging Geodude into a nearby boulder once he let it go.

"There you go, Char," shouted Jason. "Keep at it and you'll beat this thing!"

Geodude crawled out of the rocky debris and charged at Char once again, this time leaping higher into the air. Char rolled backwards just in time before Geodude landed on him but was unable to dodge a right hook from the powerful fist of Geodude. The punch landed on Char's chin and sent the little lizard Pokemon back several feet until he landed hard on his back.

Char sat up and shook off the pain he felt in his face and could see Geodude high in the air once again. Char sprung up to his feet and jumped towards Geodude, grabbing the Rock-Type's face in midair and flipping himself above it. He then placed his feet on top of Geodude's head and pushed as hard as he could with them, sending Geodude crashing face first into the rocky surface below. Char landed safely on his feet and quickly turned around to see Geodude push itself back up and charge him.

Char tried a different approach as Geodude came closer. He turned around and waved his tail back and forth as fast as he could, launching dozens of Embers at the charging Rock-Type. Unfortunately, they had no effect on Geodude. The Embers simply bounced off of Geodude's rough skin as it came closer and closer.

"Watch out, Char," shouted Jason.

Char glanced over his shoulder to see Geodude charging at high speed. Unable to react in time, Char suffered a tackle from behind and was forced down face first. Geodude kept a firm grip on Char's arms and pulled them back, stretching them at an awkward angle. Char yelped in pain but managed to bring his flaming tail towards Geodude's backside. The flame burned Geodude until it had had enough and let go of Char's arms. As Geodude rolled off of Char's back and paced back many steps, Char grabbed onto a large brown rock and lifted it to his chest. As Geodude charged at Char once again, Char turned around just in time for Geodude to collide itself with the rock. The collision caused the rock to break apart into many pieces and knocked Char back down to the ground while Geodude landed face first into another boulder.

Jason began to worry about Char as the little lizard Pokemon slowly stood up to his feet. This was a serious opponent for Char, and Jason didn't know if he had the strength to bring it down. Shocker wanted so badly to help Char, but Jason kept him at bay so that it wouldn't appear that Jason was cheating.

"Finish it, Geodude," shouted the Gym leader.

"Back away, Char! Catch your breath and wear 'em down!"

Char's breathing became more and more stressed and heavy as he back away from Geodude. As he breathed out, small flashes of fire began to come out of his mouth. This filled Char with hope, as well as energy enough for the fire on his tail to grow much larger in size. Geodude stood up and searched around for Char. Once Char was in its eye sight, Geodude pounded the ground with its fist and ran towards him.

"Look out Char!"

Suddenly, Char took a deep breath and leaned his body forward, unleashing a powerful stream of fire from his mouth. The fire hit Geodude head on and sent the Rock-Type flying back several yards. Once it landed hard on its backside, Geodude's arms didn't move and its eyes were closed, signifying that it had fainted from the attack.

Jason raised his fists and shouted with victory. "You did it, Char! You breathed fire!"

Char smiled and barked with excitement. Their victory was short lived, however, as the Gym leader sent Sandslash to finish Char. Sandslash ran towards Char and leaped high into the air. Char rolled out of the way just in time and backed away a few paces as Sandslash landed and hissed at Char.

"This thing doesn't stand a chance, Char," shouted Jason. "Get in close and tear 'em a new asshole!"

Char dragged his feet back a few times and ran towards Sandslash. The overgrown mole ran towards Char head on and extended its claws. Char stopped dead in his tracks to dodge a vertical slice from Sandslash. He then landed three punches to the gut of Sandslash and rolled to his left side to avoid an uppercut slice. Sandslash swung its claws at Char relentlessly, hitting nothing but air as Char used his quick reflexes to duck and dodge each strike.

After Char ducked under one last slice, he lunged at Sandslash and landed a right hook on its chit, followed by a spinning tail whip before he landed on his feet. Char landed four more straight punches at Sandslash's gut but was unable to dodge a back hand strike and was sent down to the ground. To add to Char's misfortune, Sandslash quickly grabbed onto Char's tail and neck, holding him in a submission hold of some sort as it began to choke Char.

"Get out of there, Char!"

It was no use. Char struggled as much as he could but could not break free of Sandslash as it held him from behind. Char's back was pressed against Sandslash's chest and his neck was being held by the mole's left arm. Jason knew that Char would be badly injured if he didn't get Char out of there. Forgetting about the badge, he grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and pointed it at Char.

Suddenly, before Jason had a chance to recall his companion, something awe-inspiring happened. Char's body shined with a blindingly bright white light and the flame on his tail grew larger. The bump on his head grew taller, causing Sandslash to let go of Char so that the bump wouldn't puncture its chin. As Sandslash back away, Char's shining body grew in size while his high-pitched squealing changed into a deep and thundering roar. Once the sudden transformation was complete, Char fell to his knees as the light slowly faded.

Jason and Shocker gazed upon Char's new appearance. He was taller in size, his scales were a darker shade of orange, his arms and legs were more muscularly developed, and his claws and teeth were larger and sharper. Char slowly stood up to his feet and stared into the eyes of Sandslash, both Pokemon snarling and growling at each other. Char finally let out a high-pitched shriek and ran towards Sandslash faster than he had ever ran in his life, followed by Sandslash's charging of its opponent.

Sandslash was the first to attack by throwing slice after slice at Char. The stronger Fire-Type dodged each slice until he finally planted a massive head butt into the gut of Sandslash, followed by a tackle to the ground that allowed Char to mount Sandslash. Char took the opportunity to attack and landed many alternating punches on the face and chest of Sandslash until the overgrown mole threw a left horizontal slice at Char's gut.

The attack cut Char's stomach and forced him to roll away from Sandslash, but he was by no means finished. He pounded his chest and waited for Sandslash to run towards him. Sandslash stood up to his feet and hissed at Char before digging into the ground with haste. Char ran towards Sandslash but was unable to catch it in time as the mole dug deep into the ground. Char stopped his pursuit and stepped away from the hole that was dug by Sandslash. He crawled on his hands and feet with his snout near the ground and crawled in random directions, sniffing for his opponent.

Suddenly, Sandslash launched itself out of the ground and collided its head with Char's chin, knocking Char down to the ground as Sandslash reentered the ground in a spinning motion with his claws digging quickly through the rocky surface. Char stood up to his feet and ran towards the hole Sandslash dug through. He took a deep breath and unleashed a thick stream of fire into the hole. The stream of fire traveled quickly throughout the tunnels and reached Sandslash's backside, forcing it to reemerge to the surface. As soon as Sandslash was launched out of the ground, Char unleashed another stream of fire at the midair mole, hitting Sandslash before it hit the ground and sending it several feet through the air.

Once Sandslash hit the ground, Char growled at his enemy and waited for it to get up. Sandslash was down for the count and unable to get up from the blast. The Gym leader finally recalled his Pokemon back into its Pokeball while Jason stared at Char, unsure of what he might do.

Char looked at Jason with the same look of intensity he had for Sandslash. This made Jason feel a bit uneasy and worried him, hoping that this evolution hadn't turned him into a monster. After a long moment of the two starring each other down, Char finally broke the suspense by blowing a smoke ring towards Jason, followed by a slight smirk.

Jason smiled back and began to laugh as he ran towards Char with open arms. Char and Jason embraced each other tightly, overjoyed with what had come to pass.

"Look at you," said Jason as he let go of the embrace. "You're huge! I can't believe this has happened!"

Char gave Jason a light punch on the arm, causing Jason to smile and return the favor.

"You won, Char. You got us the Boulder badge. You kicked some serious ass today, and I'm proud of you."

Char pulled Jason into another hug, one that Jason happily returned. As they breathed in their new victory, the Gym leader walked towards them with a small jewel of some kind in his hand. Jason took notice to the Gym leader's approach and let go of the hug. The Gym leader had a proud smile on his face as he presented the Boulder badge to Jason.

"You have bested me and my Pokemon. I hereby award you with the boulder badge as a symbol of your victory."

Jason took the badge and put it in an empty pouch on his belt. "Hell of a match. You're really good."

The Gym leader shook his head and said, "No, I am but an amateur compared to you. Go now and continue the path you are on. You should find the next Gym in Cerulean City, which is on the other side of Mt. Moon. It will take you some time to clear the mountain, but I have no doubt you will make it through. Good luck, trainer."

Jason nodded and shook the Gym Leader's hand. He then lead Char and Shocker out of the Gym and headed back for the Pokemon Center so that they could get some rest.

* * *

_Well guys, that's that! So what did you guys think of the battles? Good? Bad? Tell me! Anyway the next chapter should have another cameo appearence of a familiar character. The Gym leader in this chapter is in fact Flint, Brock's father from the anime. You'll hear more about that later on. Hope you like this story so far! See ya next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Holy crap! I'm so sorry for the long wait, guys. I've been away from the computer for a while because of work, but I finally managed to finish editting this chapter._

_This chapter marks the beginning of a pace change. What that means is I will not write about every city Jason visits, nor will I write about all the badges he earns. The last thing I want to do is to drag this story to the point of boring my readers. I will be writing about important plot points throughout Jason's journeys without forcing the reader to walk EVERY step with Jason throughout the region of Kanto._

_Also, my detailed description of events may change a little as well. I will still keep good detail in my descriptions, but at the same time the scenes will be a little less dragged out. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

_

**Chapter 4: Trouble In The Mountains**

It had been three days since Jason won his first Pokemon League Badge in Pewter City. During that time, Jason and Char spent a majority of their time training outside of the city limits. Char's evolution into a Charmeleon afforded him many more options as a fighter. He was faster, stronger, larger, and tougher than he had ever been. These factors allowed Char many more options in a fight, giving Jason the chance to teach him more fighting techniques.

As for Shocker, the little mouse Pokemon still had yet to be claimed by his original trainer. Being that the Pokemon Center's policy prohibited them from keeping Pokemon for more than three days, Jason owned up to his word and went to pick up Shocker at the front desk of the Pokemon Center. Upon his arrival, Shocker immediately began to smile and chirp with excitement. Jason and Char smiled and approached the front desk. Nurse Joy was behind the desk with Shocker, awaiting Jason's return.

"Hey buddy," said Jason as he picked up Shocker from the desk.

"He's been waiting for you," said Joy. "No one has claimed him, so I guess this means he's yours."

Before Jason had a chance to reply, a man wearing a blue business suit and black sunglasses approached the desk with surprise in his eyes.

"Pikachu," said the man. "I've been worried sick! Where'd you run off to?"

Jason narrowed his eyes at the man and asked, "Does this Pikachu belong to you?"

The man nodded and said, "I gave him that collar. Where was he?"

"I found him in the middle of Viridian Forest. He followed me out and I took him here."

"I can't believe I lost him there. Poor guy." The man put on a pair of thick rubber gloves and pulled out a long leash.

"He only shocks you if you touch his cheeks," said Jason as the man grabbed Shocker from him.

"I know how to handle my own Pokemon, pal," said the man as he attached the leash to Shocker's collar. "Thanks for bringing him here."

As the man turned towards the front door, Shocker looked at Jason with sorrow and fear in his mouse eyes, causing Jason to frown.

"Call me crazy," said Joy, "but I don't think Shocker likes that man."

Char nudged Jason's shoulder and motioned for him to follow the man. "He's not my Pokemon, Char. We gotta let 'em go."

"I hope nothing bad happens to that little fellow," said Joy with worry in her tone, causing Jason to sigh out of frustration.

"Thank you for checking up on Char and Shocker," said Jason.

"You're welcome, Jason. Good luck."

Jason nodded and headed for the front door, followed by Char. Jason felt bad about Shocker, but he wasn't a thief. He couldn't just steal Shocker from his trainer, regardless if it was the right thing to do. All he could do was continue his travels and put Shocker behind him.

As Jason stepped outside, his attention fell towards the sounds of frustrated yelling from a male voice to his right. He could see the man he met a few seconds ago dragging Shocker by his leash away from the Pokemon Center, tugging at it every time Shocker tried to head towards the center. Jason's guilt for not doing something began to grow more and more. He didn't want to see Shocker being dragged like that by some irresponsible creep, but he had no choice.

Shocker caught a glimpse of Jason and Char outside of the Pokemon Center and desperately tried to reach them, only to be pulled back harshly by the man in the blue business suit. Jason's guilt became too much for him to bear as he turned around and slowly started walking towards the eastern city limits, where the foot of Mt. Moon was located. As he continued walking, he noticed that Char was not following him. He turned around to see Char watching Shocker being tugged by the leash, chirping at Jason and Char hopelessly.

"Char," called out Jason. "Come on. We gotta go."

Char wouldn't budge. He simply looked at Jason with sorrow in his eyes. Jason knew that something had to be done as he alternated between looking at Char and Shocker. Finally, Jason's expression turned from sadness into suppressed anger as he walked past Char towards the abusive trainer and Shocker. He approached the trainer and yanked the leash from his hands, causing the man to shoot Jason with a look of warning.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," shouted the man as he grabbed Jason's jacket.

Jason grabbed the hand that held him and twisted it at an awkward angle, causing the man to fall to his knees. Jason threw a strong right hook at the chin of the man, knocking him to the ground. He then turned his sights towards Shocker and kneeled down next to him. He unhooked the collar around his neck and threw it and the leash aside. Shocker jumped at Jason and frantically licked Jason's face, overjoyed about what he had done for him.

The man slowly started to sit up, groaning at the pain he felt in his jaw. Jason set Shocker down and squatted next to the man. He hit him again in the face and reached into his pocket for a cigarette, lighting it up as the man held onto his jaw.

Jason blew a puff of smoke at the face of the man and said, "It's not nice to pull Pokemon by the neck with a leash. Maybe you'll realize that when you get another Pokemon. I'm taking your Pikachu with me and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. If you follow me, I'll string you up with that leash upside down next to a Spearow's nest. Do not doubt me, pal."

Jason let go of the man's jaw and turned towards Shocker. He grabbed one of his Pokeballs and held it in front of Shocker.

"I'm going to give you the choice, Shocker. If you want to come with me, then you can either walk with me and Char, or you can rest inside this thing. It's up to you."

Jason put the Pokeball down on the ground next to Shocker and waited for his decision. Shocker stared at the enlarged Pokeball and sniffed at it for a moment. He then brought his sights to Jason and let out a bright smile from his furry lips. He licked Jason's chin one more time before tapping the Pokeball's top with his tail. This action triggered the Pokeball's catching mechanism, causing the Pokeball to open up and unleash a colorful beam of energy that engulfed Shocker's body and sent him inside the Pokeball.

Once the Pokeball snapped shut, Jason picked it up and attached it to his belt. He stood up and kicked the man in the stomach before heading towards the eastern city limits. Char stood in front of the Pokemon Center with his muscular arms folded. His reptilian lips formed a slight smirk as Jason walked towards him.

"What are you looking at," asked Jason as he walked passed Char, returning the smirk Char had given him.

Char, obviously proud of Jason's actions, watched Jason walk away for a moment before catching up to him and following him towards Route 3, the pathway leading to the caves of Mt. Moon. The route was long and wide, nearly a three day's walk. Very few trees grew from the ground with the tall grass, and several large rock formations made Route 3 a natural labyrinth for all who dared to conquer the upcoming mountain.

* * *

It took Jason and Char four days to navigate Route 3. Upon noon of the forth day, they had reached a Pokemon Center located thirty feet from the cave entrance of Mt. Moon. Unlike the first two centers Jason had visited, this one was quite small in size. It was only one story tall and carried an outdoor camping site for travelers and trainers alike. The camping site was large in size and filled with picnic tables and tents.

After a quick visit to the Pokemon Center, Jason and Char left the camping site and headed straight for the entrance cave of Mt. Moon. Before entering the caves, Jason and Char gazed upon the massive peaks of the mountain with awe, admiring the high sites Mt. Moon had to offer.

"This mountain's huge," said Jason. "There's no telling how long it will take to pass through."

After a brief moment of sightseeing, Jason and Char finally entered the caves. As they ventured deeper, Jason became very grateful for Char's flaming tail. The caves were dark and narrow, making their pace slower than usual as they traveled through the cramped space. Char took the lead as they walked onward, allowing Jason to depend on Char's light source from behind.

After fifteen minutes of walking, the caves began to get smaller in space, forcing them to bend down as they walked and even crawl on their hands and knees every now and then. To add to their difficulty, the rocky walls became less ad less smooth with rocks pointing out. Jason quickly realized how difficult this mountain was to climb when he scraped his left shoulder against the edge of a sharp rock.

"Son of a bitch," said Jason as he held onto his small wound.

The cut tore through the cloth of Jason's hooded jacket and punctured his skin, causing a small amount of blood to stain the grey cloth. Char turned around as quickly as he could and took notice to Jason's small cut on his shoulder.

"Be careful, Char," said Jason. "These rocks are pretty damn sharp. Watch your head especially."

Char nodded and pointed at Jason's cut. Jason noticed Char's concern and smiled.

"It's alright, Char. It's just a scratch. Let's keep going and hope that it gets less crowded in here."

Jason and Char ventured deeper into the narrow caves. After a good twenty minutes of cramped space, Jason and Char reached an area of the caves that had plenty of open space and even a small ray of sun light from above. In desperate need of a rest, Jason found a small, flat-surfaced rock for him to sit on and stripped himself of his backpack and hooded jacket.

Char didn't take this opportunity to rest. Instead, he paced about the area and studied all the sites and smells he could. Meanwhile, above the heads of Jason and Char, dozens of bat-like Pokemon quietly chirped amongst themselves as they watched over their 'guests' down below. The cave dwelling Zubat were known for their over-aggressive behavior and their poisonous bite, but luckily for Jason and Char they were nocturnal hunters and had a high distaste for sunlight.

Jason stripped off his T-shirt and examined his cuts on his arms and torso. Most of them were mere scrapes and bruises, but there were a few that managed to tear through the cloth of his shirt and puncture his skin deep enough to make him bleed. He lit up a cigarette and reached into his backpack for some Band-Aids but was interrupted by the sound of Char's growling. He stood up and walked towards Char to see his Pokemon companion growling at another cave entrance, one that was illuminated by a bright purple light.

"Is someone over there," shouted Jason as he placed his hand on Char's head.

Finally, a man in a brown leather jacket and blue jeans carrying a purple lamp in his hand approached Jason and Char from the cave entrance. The man had brown hair of medium length and looked to be roughly Jason's age.

"Oh, hello there," said the man once his sights caught Jason and Char. "Are you a Pokemon trainer?"

Jason sighed and shook his head. "Me and my partner here aren't in any kind of shape for a battle, pal."

"Oh no no no, I'm not making a challenge," said the man. "You see, I'm not technically an official Pokemon trainer. I'm a researcher for the Silph company in Saffron City and I use certain of my own Pokemon to help me in my research. My name's Bill, by the way."

Bill extended his hand towards Jason and shook the trainer's hand. "I'm Jason."

"Pleasure to meet you, Jason," said Bill as he let go of the hand shake. "So what brings a trainer like you here? This mountain is pretty dangerous for travelers and those cuts on your arms and shoulders seem to prove my point."

Jason glanced at his small wounds and shrugged. "They look worse than they actually are. Me and Char here actually haven't had much trouble with the mountain so far. And to answer your question, I'm here for a couple reasons. I chose the mountain over the highway leading to Cerulean City so that my two Pokemon could gain some experience from the wild Pokemon in the area. Plus, I'm working for somebody."

"Really," said Bill as he tilted his head slightly. "May I ask who you are working for?"

Jason took a drag from his cigarette and said, "I'm working for a Professor who lives in Pallet Town."

Bill's eyes widened. "You're the one Professor Oak hired for the Pokedex Expedition?"

Jason frowned at Bill. "Yeah, I'm the guy he hired. How did you know about that?"

"Well, my father and Professor Oak are colleagues. They went to the same schools from middle school to college. The Professor also tutored me throughout my college years and made a recommendation to the Silph company. I would have signed up for the Pokedex Expedition had it not been for my loyalties to my work."

"Wow," said Jason. "I didn't know that Sam was so popular."

Bill laughed at Jason's remark. "You have no idea. He has accomplished more in his life than any other Pokemon researcher before him."

"So I'm told," said Jason with a smirk. "So what are you doing here?"

"Geological study. I've been here for well over a month. This mountain was once known for its frequent meteor falls in the past, but no one has ever ventured deep enough to find evidence of such activity."

"I didn't know about that," said Jason. "Have you found any leads?"

"Actually, yes I have. Would you like to see? It's not very far from here."

Before Jason had time to respond, Bill grabbed Jason's wrist and dragged him into the cave entrance. Char followed them through the caves until they reached another open-space area illuminated by several purple lamps scattered about the area. The area was also filled with several tall super-computer circuit boards and various other high-tech machines and equipment. Bill let go of Jason's wrist once they reached a large blue colored boulder with dozens of smaller blue rocks surrounding it and a small pond with fresh water.

Bill grabbed one of the small blue rocks and presented it to Jason. "This rock contains metals and minerals that are uncharted. It is truly unique in every way."

Jason grabbed the rock from Bill's hand. "So this is a meteor rock?"

"Actually, I think this rare mineral is a mix of minerals from this mountain and the debris of the meteorites that have hit this mountain hundreds of years ago. The rock you are holding has a unique type of radiation similar to the radiation found in Evolution Stones."

Jason raised an eyebrow and said, "Evolution Stones?"

"An Evolution Stone is a rare mineral that, if touched by a certain Pokemon type, will react to the Pokemon's DNA and transform it into something much stronger. There is only a small number of Pokemon that can evolve using these stones, and so far there are only four known Evolution Stones."

Bill reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out half a dozen small pictures. Jason placed the glowing rock with the rest ad gazed upon the pictures.

"Look at this," said Bill as he pointed at numerous pink, imp-like Pokemon. "These are a group of Clefairy that gathered around a similar blue boulder elsewhere in these mountains. I took these pictures about three weeks ago when I found the first of six other boulders."

Bill flipped through each picture as he continued. "They gather around the boulder and perform some sort of dance. Afterwards, a select few of the Clefairy pick up a stone and transform into this."

Bill flipped to the picture of a group of Clefairy surrounding three larger pink Pokemon similar in appearance. Jason took a good look at the three unfamiliar Pokemon and shook his head.

"I've heard of Clefairy from some of the hikers that visit the mountain," said Jason. "But I've never seen or heard about these things before."

"Exactly," exclaimed Bill. "This is a brand new species of Pokemon. An evolved form of the already mysterious Clefairy. These 'Moon Stones,' if you will, hold the keys to a new chapter in the book of Pokemon Evolution! It's a scientific breakthrough!"

Bill slapped Jason's back in his excitement and ran towards his battery powered laptop. He ejected a compact disk from the laptop and placed the CD into a plastic case before grabbing twelve more CD cases and running toward Jason again.

"These disks," began Bill, "hold all the data from my research here. Once I make my finishing touches and leave this mountain, new doors will be opened for science and Pokemon trainers. A discovery like this is bound to make a truck load of money, perhaps enough to help my father finish our Pokemon Storage System"

"Pokemon Storage System," asked Jason. "What's that?"

Bill smirked at Jason and shook his head. "A magician never reveals his secrets, my friend. You will find out soon enough."

Jason chuckled and said, "Fair enough. So what's left to be-"

Jason was interrupted by the weak sounds of a small creature. Bill and Jason turned their heads in the direction of the sound to see a small, grey-colored bipedal Pokemon limping its way out of a small cave entrance. The Pokemon dragged its left leg as it walked until it finally could bear the pain no more and fell to the ground.

Jason, Char and Bill ran towards the weakened Pokemon. Jason took a look at its hurt leg and noticed two fang marks.

"Ah, damn," said Jason. "Looks like this guy's been bitten by a Zubat."

Bill took a look at the bite and shook his head. "I don't think so. The fang marks on this Machop's leg are too far apart for the small mouth of a Zubat. That looks more like a bite from an Ekans."

Jason glanced at Bill with a frown. "A what?"

"Ekans. It's a poisonous snake Pokemon."

"Are you sure," asked Jason. "I haven't seen any snake Pokemon on this mountain."

"That's because there aren't any. Ekans are usually found in the plains of Route 11 east of Vermilion City. Perhaps this Machop got into a fight with a Pokemon trainer. Whatever the case, Machop needs an antidote. Do you have any?"

"Yeah, but it's in my backpack. I'll go and get it real quick. Char, you stay here in case Bill needs your help."

Char nodded and squatted next to Bill and the injured Machop while Jason ran towards the cave entrance leading to his resting spot. Once Jason was out of sight, Bill continued to tend to Machop's wound. Suddenly, the sounds of quick footsteps were heard in another cave entrance. Char stood up and growled at the sound, causing Bill to worry.

Finally, six men wearing black body suits with a red R on their chests entered Bill's camping site. Following them was a man in a maroon red body suit and a bandage over his nose, the same man Jason knocked out in Viridian City before he left.

"Can I help you gentlemen," asked Bill uneasily.

The man with the bandage over his nose approached Bill and handed him a blue sheet of paper. "My name is Wesley Groves. I'm a representative of Mr. Giovanni. My employer has bought the company you work for. Being that Silph Co. is under new management, all this equipment must be returned and inspected."

"But that will take a month," protested Bill. "I have research data that needs to be completed and sent to a colleague of mine in Pallet Town."

"Any research data will be sent to our science directors in Saffron City," responded Groves. "Gentlemen, start packing this man's equipment and bring it to the helicopter outside."

Meanwhile, Jason reached into his backpack and grabbed an antidote container. He then grabbed another T-shirt and pulled it over his head before putting on his hooded jacket and backpack. As he stood up and headed for the cave entrance, he could hear a struggle coming from the caves leading to Bill's camping site. Thinking quickly, Jason grabbed Shocker's Pokeball from his belt and released his electric friend from his Pokeball.

Shocker stretched his arms and legs and yawned once he was released from the Pokeball's energy field. Jason squatted down next to the little electric mouse and stroked his neck.

"I think Char's in trouble, Shocker," said Jason, causing Shocker's ears to twitch. "Follow my lead and wait for my signal."

Shocker nodded and followed Jason through the caves. They kept their footsteps slow and quiet, hoping not to alert whoever or whatever was causing trouble in Bill's camping site.

Back at the camping site, Bill held the little Machop in his arms while Char dealt with the men trying to snag Bill's equipment. Char knocked down each man with brutal punches and tackles, keeping them away from the equipment.

"Contain that lizard of yours before I do," shouted Groves.

"You can't do this," said Bill. "This is a scientific find!"

Groves responded to Bill's pleading by throwing a hard punch across the face of the young researcher, causing Bill to fall to the ground and drop the weakened Machop. Groves then grabbed a large metal bucket next to the small pond and filled it with water. He snuck up behind Char and swung the bucket towards him, causing the cool liquid to drench Char's back and tail.

Char roared at the pain he felt from behind. The water made the flame on his tail much small, making Char weaker and forcing him to fall on his knees and hands. Groves threw the bucket towards one of the men in black and pointed at the small pond.

"If that lizard moves," said Groves, "finish it off by pouring water over its tail. The rest of you get back to work."

Suddenly, Jason knocked out one of the men in black with a straight punch to the face. "Hey boys," he said with a slight smirk.

Groves widened his eyes at the sight of Jason. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Jason took notice to Groves and narrowed his eyes. "You again, huh? How's the nose?"

Groves clenched his fists. "It hurts to breathe."

Jason turned his sights towards the weakened Char. "What did you do to him?!"

Groves smirked and said, "What are you gonna do about it?"

Jason gritted his teeth. "Now, shocker! Flash these sons of bitches!"

Shocker ran between Jason's legs and leaped high into the air. Jason turned his head away as the men kept their sights on the midair mouse. Suddenly, Shocker's cheeks sparked frantically and emitted a blinding flash of light that lit up the area for a spilt second. The flash caused the men to lose their eyesight and fall to their knees with their hands covering their aching eyes.

Jason immediately ran towards Char while the men moaned over the pain they felt in their eyes. Jason's pursuit was halted all of the sudden by a kick to his knee by one of the men in black who managed to cover his eyes in time before Shocker's flash. Jason fell face first to the ground and suffered three more kicks on his gut. Jason caught the forth kick with his arm and landed a hard punch on the man's knee, forcing it to bend the wrong way. The man fell on his back, crying out in agony over his broken leg.

Jason quickly stood up but was brought back down to the ground when another man in black tackled him from behind. The man kept Jason on the ground by throwing punch after punch at Jason's kidneys until Shocker performed a leaping skull bash, landing the top of his head on the man's back. As the man cringed at the pain he felt from behind, Jason turned around and threw an elbow strike at the man's jaw.

As the man rolled off of Jason, the other four grunts regained their eyesight and ran towards Jason with nightsticks in hand. Shocker took out two of the men with a powerful electric shock attack while Jason waited for the other two. Jason ducked under one of the men's nightstick swing and landed two punches to the gut of the other grunt, followed by a knee to the face. He then tackled the last grunt to the ground and pounded on his face with his fists.

Suddenly, a deafening bang sounded nearby, causing Jason to halt his fists. He turned around to see Groves slowly approaching Jason with a loaded pistol pointed at him.

"Don't move," said Groves. "Hell of a fight you put up. Now slowly stand up, put that electric rat back in its Pokeball and put your hands on your head."

Jason stood up to his feet and slowly reached for Shocker's Pokeball. He recalled Shocker back into his Pokeball and glared at Groves as he put his hands on his head.

"Good boy," said Groves. "It's a shame you attacked us. Team Rocket could use someone like you. You even left a lasting impression on my boss when you broke my nose in Viridian City. But being that you interrupted our mission, I guess Giovanni's gonna have to wait for another all-around badass to impress him."

Groves pulled back on the hammer of his gun and aimed for Jason's head. Before he could pull the trigger, however, Char leaped towards Groves and bit the arm holding the gun. Groves cried out in agony as Char's sharp teeth sank into his arm, forcing him to drop his gun and fall to the ground. Char let go of Groves's arm and grabbed his neck with his hands, removing Groves's ability to breathe as Char choked him.

Jason picked up the gun and placed his hand on Char's shoulder. "Let him go, Char. He's not going anywhere."

Char let go of Groves's neck and backed away. As Groves began to catch his breath, Jason squatted down next to Groves and pointed the gun at his face.

"Come on, kid," said Groves. "You don't have it in you."

Jason pulled back the hammer and said, "Nobody hurts my Pokemon."

Groves squinted his eyes and waited for Jason to pull the trigger. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Jason pressed the button on the gun that released the clip from the handle and threw the gun towards the pond.

Groves opened his eyes and let out a heavy sigh of relief. His moment of relief was brought to a sudden halt, however, when Jason threw punch after punch at Groves's face and chest. Jason continued to pound away until Groves lost consciousness and his face was covered in blood.

After Jason delivered the final punch, he took a deep breath and grabbed his smokes from his pocket. As he lit one up, he could hear Bill groaning from the pain he felt in his jaw. Jason stood up and walked towards Bill followed closely by Char. Machop was sitting upright next to Bill with its head lowered, breathing heavily as the pain in his leg increased with each passing second.

Jason pulled out the antidote from his utility belt and sprayed it on Machop's leg. As he tended to Machop's wound, Bill sat up holding on to his jaw. He took notice to Jason's care for little Machop and smiled.

"Thank you for helping me, Jason."

Jason glanced at Bill with a smirk. "Don't mention it, Bill. How are you holding up?"

"My face has seen better days, but overall I'll be alright. You, on the other hand, look a lot worse than I probably do. You should have a doctor look at that gash over your left eye."

Jason felt the large cut over his eye and wiped away some of the blood. "I'll be fine. I've had a lot worse before."

After Jason wrapped a bandage over Machop's leg, the little Pokemon slowly stood up to its feet and looked into Jason's eyes. Char helped Bill up to his feet by pulling his hand up while Jason and Machop stared each other down.

Suddenly, Machop pounded his chest with his fists and punched Jason in the arm. Jason flinched and frowned at Machop, who was smiling brightly at Jason. The young trainer chuckled and stood up to his feet, turning his sights towards Bill.

"Jason, we can't stay here. There might be more of them. I heard one of them say something about a helicopter."

Jason nodded and said, "Well, let's get to it then."

"Wait. We can't just leave my equipment. If they get their hands on my research, then everything I've worked for will be taken from me."

Jason took a look at the scattered equipment. "Well, I hate to point out the obvious, buddy, but we're not gonna be able to load all of this shit without some help. There's a lot of heavy equipment here and if there are more of these assholes, we won't be able to load half of this stuff in time."

"I know," said Bill with a sigh. "We'll have to destroy all of it."

Jason raised his eyebrows at Bill. "Just like that? But what about the research you need?"

"I have thirteen CDs full of data, remember? I'll be able to transfer the data from the disks. Quickly, we must destroy everything before these Team Rocket people wake up."

Jason nodded and released Shocker from his Pokeball next to Char. "Char, Shocker, I need you guys to fry all of the equipment in the area. Fry the circuit boards and smash up the small equipment. Make sure you take care of everything while Bill and I drag these unconscious grunts out of here."

Char and Shocker nodded and went straight to work. Char started with the large circuit boards by melting them with his flamethrower attack while Shocker zapped the smaller scanning devices and laptops with his thundershock attacks.

Meanwhile, Jason grabbed the wrist of one of the Rocket Grunts and dragged him towards one of the cave entrances. Bill gathered all thirteen disks and placed them inside his backpack before helping Jason with the grunts. Bill was not a strong man, of which could be easily seen as he struggled to drag one of the grunts only a few feet before letting go. Jason picked up on Bill's lack of strength and rushed to help him with the unconscious grunt. After they finished dragging the forth grunt into the cave entrance, Bill leaned his back against the rocky surface as he struggled to catch his breath.

"You alright," asked Jason. "I can take care of the rest of them if you need me to."

"That….would…..be…..great," said Bill between breaths.

Jason patted Bill's shoulder and said, "I'll finish up. You stay here and grab their boots. It'll slow them down when they wake up."

"Good……..idea."

As Bill began pulling off the boots of the grunts, Jason returned to the camping site to retrieve the last three men, only to see little Machop dragging two of them behind him. Jason stared at Machop as the little Pokemon walked towards him. Machop was no taller than Jason's knees and yet he had the strength to casually drag two unconscious men without any difficulty. Machop smiled at Jason as the little grey Pokemon passed by. Jason laughed and grabbed the wrists of Groves.

When the group finished their tasks, Jason and Bill placed the boots in a pile and grabbed their backpacks. While Jason told Char to burn the boots, Bill walked towards the large blue boulder and picked up a few of the Moon Stones for him to bring back with him.

Jason approached Bill and said, "What's the next move?"

"We need to get to my father's hideout. It's in a lighthouse north of Cerulean City. Follow me, I'll take you through the pathway I took. It'll take about three days, but it's the quickest way through this mountain."

As Jason followed Bill to one of the cave entrances, Machop grunted at Jason and Char. Jason turned around to see Machop pounding his chest. Jason squatted down next to Machop and grabbed an empty Pokeball from his belt.

"You're pretty strong, little guy. You sure you wanna come with me?"

Machop punched Jason's arm and grunted again. The two smiled at each other as Jason held the Pokeball in front of Machop.

"Alright then, Powerhouse. Tap this ball and we'll get going."

Machop smiled brighter at the sound of his new name and hit the Pokeball with his fist. The Pokeball's energy beam concealed Powerhouse inside, adding him to Jason's Pokemon roster. Jason then stood up and followed Bill through the many caves out of the mountain.

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Five days later, Jason and Char walked out the door of a large lighthouse located at the cliffs above a massive lake. Bill walked out the door behind the two and shook Jason's hand.

"Thanks again for your help, Jason. I hope to see you again in the future."

"Same here, Bill. Take care of yourself."

"You too. Oh by the way, are you heading for Cerulean City for the Cascade badge?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Well, in that case I should tell you to be prepared to be prepared to stay in town for an extended period of time."

"Why's that?"

"Because the Gym's leader is a single mother of four daughters. She's heavily devoted to her four children and will ultimately decline a challenge if it interferes with her family time. You'll have to be patient with this one."

"Thanks for the tip, Bill. Good luck with your Storage System."

With that, Jason and Char turned around and headed south for Cerulean City. Bill watched them leave for a while with a slight smile on his face before heading back inside the lighthouse.

In the woods nearby, a man wearing a Team Rocket uniform looked through his binoculars at Jason and Char as they continued to head south. As he continued to keep an eye on them, another Rocket Grunt placed his hand on the other's shoulder.

"Is that the guy," said one of the grunts.

"That's him alright. He's the guy that sent Groves to the hospital with a speech impediment."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's rush him!"

"Negative. Giovanni only wants us to keep track of his movements. In other words, we don't touch him…… yet."

"You'd think the Boss would want this guy dead. Nobody's ever crossed him like this."

"This guy doesn't know enough about Giovanni to cross him. If he did then I doubt he would have helped that researcher."

"What do you think the Boss will do to this guy?"

"He'll either ask him to join Team Rocket or he'll do the honors of killing him very, very slowly."

"If it were up to me, I'd pick the ladder."

"I guess we'll see soon enough."

One of the grunts put aside his binoculars and activated a medium sized monitor screen. Once it was switched on, a picture of Jason's face appeared next to a set of green colored text that read:

_Subject:_ _Jason Patton_

_Gender: Male_

_Age:_ _19_

_Area of residence:_ _Unknown_

_Occupation:_ _Pokemon Trainer, Pokemon Researcher_

_Employer:_ _Professor Samuel Oak_

_Keep track of subjects movements and report daily. Considered unarmed but dangerous. Do not engage the subject under any circumstances until ordered by Giovanni._

_

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Well guys, another chapter finished! I'll try to update sooner than before and again I apologise for the wait.

A/N: First off, for those who are wondering, Jason didn't kill anybody in this chapter. The Rocket Grunts he and Shocker beat up were low level grunts with little experience. I decided to not have them release any Pokemon because I wanted to give Jason the spotlight for once in a big fight.

Lastly, Bill's mentioning of the Cerulean City Gym leader and her four daughters is indeed a refrence to Misty Waterflower and her three Sensational Sisters, but they won't make an appearence in the next chapter. With that in mind, the story has thus far made refrences to the characters Ash, Misty, and Brock from the anime and has been made apparent as proof of their future appearences in the following sequel.

Anyways, I hope you guys like my story so far. PLEASE REVIEW! Although I appreciate the four I have so far, I could always use more. Don't be shy guys. I live for your oppinion!

Oh, I almost forgot! The next chapter will involve Jason getting rather intimate with somebody. I won't go into detail as to who it is or how close the two will be, but I will tell you that all you romance lovers will love this next chapter!

See ya next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

_My God in Heaven, I am so sorry for the extra long wait guys! I have been so busy with work AND I have suffered a major writer's block. Thankfully, the block has vanished for now, but I still have a lot of work keeping me from the computer. I will update as quickly as I can._

_This chapter marks the saddest chapter I have ever written in my life. It is also the longest thus far. Seriously, readers, bring some tissue. This is gonna be rough._

**Warning: This chapter contains mild sexual content and the use of the word 'fuck' on two different occassions. My rating for this fic remains the same, but I find it only fair to warn the reader.

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**Chapter 5: The Agony of True Love**

The afternoon sun shined brightly above the shores of Vermilion City, known by the locals as the Port of Exquisite Sunsets. Tourists from all over the region of Kanto came to this vast city to enjoy the stunning sights and attractions that made this town so well known. Along with its sky blue ocean and state fairs, Vermilion City's biggest attraction was the luxurious S.S. Anne, Kanto's most famous cruise ship. Obviously a cruise for the wealthy, it would carry hundreds of passengers across the sea once a year, visiting exotic tropical islands before returning to the harbor.

It had been two months since Jason and his Pokemon companions left Bill's lighthouse north of Cerulean City. Jason and Char walked out of the Vermilion City Gym with a look of pride in their eyes. They had won their forth Gym badge from Lt. Surge, an ex-marine who specialized in Electric-Type Pokemon. He took a good look at his new Thunder badge and flicked it in the air like a coin before stashing it into his badge pouch in his utility belt. He then put on a pair of black sunglasses and lit up a cigarette as he and Char walked away from the Vermilion City Gym.

Jason and Char walked along the sidewalks of Vermilion City towards the downtown area. It had been roughly two months since they left Bill's lighthouse north of Cerulean City. During that time, Jason had accepted challenges from other trainers, left and right, and emerged victorious each time, of which earned him a total of four badges since the beginning of his journeys. From the high-class streets of Cerulean to the eerie fogs of Lavender Town, Jason had more than made a lasting impression on all that battled him.

Jason had thus far spent three weeks in the beaches of Vermilion City. Seeing this large city as a great vacation spot, he and his Pokemon companions, Char, Shocker, and Powerhouse, camped out on the beaches and breathed in the fresh air of the shores until he finally beat Lt. Surge for the Thunder badge. His main reason for staying for such a long time, however, involved a certain local college student.

Jason and Char approached a college dormitory and went inside to see dozens of college students filling the lobby area, playing pool and sipping soda drinks as they conversed amongst themselves. As Jason and Char maneuvered their way through the crowd of students, one of them in particular remained in a brown recliner chair studying one of her class books. She wore caprice style jeans, brown sandals, and a dark green swoop-neck shirt. Her dark brown hair was worn down and reached right above her shoulders. She wore very little make-up, not that it was needed, and her near perfect, curvaceous figure left many guys standing in awe.

Jason stopped dead in his tracks once he caught her in his sights. Her name was Brooke. She was indeed a sight for sore eyes to Jason. The two met each other short after Jason's arrival in Vermilion City when Jason took it upon himself to relieve her of two college punks she had problems with in the areas of suggestive harassment. After Jason gave his 'five-fingered warning' to the punks, he and Brooke grew quite attached to one another and quickly became close friends.

Brooke placed her class book in her small blue book bag and leaned her back against her recliner with her eyes closed, frustrated with her studies. She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips for a moment before opening her eyes to see Jason and Char in front of her. All of the sudden, it seemed that all her frustration had left her mind as she greeted Jason with a bright grin and a tight embrace of his neck after she practically jumped from her seat. Jason happily returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her upper back.

Brooke let go of the warm hug and smiled at Jason. "I was wandering when you were going to show up."

"Sorry it took me so long," said Jason with a shrug of his shoulders. "How was class today?"

Brooke rolled her eyes and sighed. "Frustrating as usual. Did you go to the Gym today?"

"Yeah I did, actually."

Brooke folded her arms and said, "So, don't keep me waiting! How did you do?"

Jason reached into his badge pouch in his belt and pulled out his newly acquired Thunder badge. Brooke couldn't help but smile brighter than before when he held the Thunder badge in front of her.

"You got it on your first try," said Brooke with astonishment in her voice.

Jason shrugged and patted Char's shoulder. "Surge wasn't as hard to beat as everyone says he is. He's good, but he had nothing on Char and Powerhouse."

As Jason put his new badge back into his pouch, Brooke lowered her head a bit. "So, now that you have what you need here, what are you going to do now?"

Jason noticed her downed state and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I think I'll stick around. I like it here. My Pokemon could definitely use a long break and plus, did you really think that I would just leave my friend behind?"

Brooke raised her head quickly. "Are you sure? I mean, don't you have work to do with that red device?"

Jason shrugged and said, "I can always gather information from the Pokemon I battle. Besides, I need some time off and I'd like it if I could spend more time with you."

Brooke blushed slightly and smiled. "I'd like that, Jason."

Jason smiled back and said, "So what should we do to celebrate my latest victory?"

"You could take me to the beach for starters."

Jason chuckled and said, "Sounds great. There's just one problem. I don't have a swim suit."

Brooke lightly swatted his shoulder and placed her hands on her hips. "Then get one, ya big baby. There's a beach shop not too far from the campus. We'll get you a suit and then go to the beach."

Jason raised his hands in defeat and said, "Alright, alright. We'll get a suit."

"Good. Give me a few minutes to get ready and we'll go. I'll meet you outside the dorm."

"Cool. I'll see you in a few."

Jason watched as Brooke headed for the stairway to her dorm room. There was something that intrigued him about her. She was someone that he felt that he could be himself around. She was beautiful, caring, playful, and she seemed to care enough about Jason to want to be around him. This, in a way, intimidated Jason a little. The women Jason was around back home on Cinnabar Island were nothing compared to her.

Char nudged Jason's shoulder, bringing him out of his trance. Jason shook his head and looked at Char to see a slight smirk on his scaly lips. This caused Jason to blush slightly and smile back. They walked through the crowd of college students and went outside to wait for Brooke.

Twenty minutes later, Brooke came outside wearing a white T-shirt, cargo shorts and her brown sandals, carrying two beach towels on her shoulder. Jason looked at his PokeGear in a playful manner, looking at the clock that was installed in the device.

"I'll have to remember that when a girl says a few minutes, she really means more like a half an hour."

Jason gave out a playful smirk after his joking remark, causing Brooke to give out an amused smile. "What can I say? A girl's gotta look he best."

"Not that you have to worry about that," Jason muttered under his breath.

"What was that," asked Brooke.

"Nothing," Jason said quickly. "You ready to go?"

Brooke narrowed her eyes and smirked at Jason. "Yep. Let's get you that suit."

Jason, Brooke and Char headed down the street a few blocks from the college campus and reached the swim suit store Brooke mentioned at the campus. While Char waited outside on account of the store's policy against having Pokemon inside the store, Jason and Brooke looked through the swimming shorts until they found a grey pair that fit him. Jason made the purchase and changed into his new swim suit and a white T-shirt of his own.

After ten minutes of walking through town, they finally reached a public beach area that was crowded with people. Once they found a spot for them to leave their belongings, Brooke placed the two towels flat on the sand next to Jason's backpack and grabbed a Pokeball from her pocket. She released the Pokemon inside the ball, her Eevee, and began petting her furry head. Eevee was a small, brown furred Pokemon that walked on all fours. Her fur was very fluffy, especially her tail, and she had large ears and eyes. Brooke kept Eevee more like a pet rather than a battling companion.

Jason released his other Pokemon from their Pokeballs, Shocker and Powerhouse, so that they could play with each other on the beach. Eevee joined Shocker and Powerhouse as they ran around the beach.

"Keep an eye on them, Char," said Jason as he placed his hand on Char's shoulder. "Make sure they don't wander too far from here."

Char grunted and nodded before following the three younger Pokemon. Jason took off his PokeGear and set it inside his backpack while Brooke started stripping off her shirt and shorts, revealing a dark green bikini and her well tanned skin. Jason starred at Brooke's enticing figure with his jaw dropped.

Brooke instantly noticed Jason's reaction and smiled. "No need to drool, Jason."

Realizing that he was starring, he shook his head and started to strip off his T-shirt, trying to hide his embarrassment in the process. Meanwhile, inside an old abandoned watchtower near the beach, the two Rocket grunts who had been following Jason since the incident on Mt. Moon kept watch over Jason and Brooke with their binoculars. The old wooden watchtower kept them hidden from the general public, which allowed them to keep an eye on Jason's movements.

"Holy Christ," said the grunt with red hair underneath his black cap, keeping his sights on Brooke. "Barns, you should take a look at this girl sportin' the green bikini! What I would do to get some of that!"

Barns, the grunt with long brown hair, smacked his hormonal partner upside the head. "In case you haven't noticed, Phillips, we're on duty. Get your head on straight and pay attention to Patton."

"Oh come on, Barns. This guy's been here for two weeks. This is a bullshit assignment and you know it. I say we kick back and relax. Enjoy the sights, like that brunette Patton's hanging around with."

"Your idiotic logic never seizes to astound me, Phillips. If we lose track of Patton's whereabouts then we wind up swimming with the fishes."

Phillips shook his head with a frustrated sigh. "You worry too much, Barns. I say we waste this nobody and enjoy the beach before we report back to headquarters. It's easy. We do a little something to his brunette girlfriend to piss him off and then pump his stomach full of lead once he comes after us. We go back to the Boss, tell him whatever bullshit story he'll buy and then move on to bigger and better things. I see nothing but utter beauty in that idea."

"If you don't shut up, Phillips, I will quiet you myself. The Boss gives us orders and we follow them. I am a professional, and I follow orders on that exact level. If the Boss orders me to follow Patton, then I do it. If the Boss sends a partner for me to work with, then I make sure that partner follows the same orders by any means necessary. Got it?"

Phillips raised his hands up and said, "Alright, alright! We'll follow the bastard! No need to make threats."

"Then do your job!"

"Fine!"

Barns and Phillips went back to their distant spying in the old watchtower, watching as Jason and Brooke continued chatting with each other. They remained on their beach spot for a good ten minutes before running for the waves of the ocean shores, splashing and dunking each other like children at play. In a way, Jason needed this kind of attachment with another person. The last time he had this much fun with another person was right before his father died when he was very young.

Char, while keeping a close eye on the other Pokemon, watched as Jason enjoyed himself with Brooke. In a way, this entire time spent in Vermilion City had changed Jason. He had managed to stay out of trouble, something he had a habit of getting into, ever since he reached the city. He was happier, and anyone with half a mind would be able to see where it came from.

It was her. She had given something to Jason that he had not had in a long time. No words would be able to describe what he had, because he had forgotten what it was like to feel this way. The time he spent with her gave him everything he needed to forget the hardships of his past. He was at peace, and nothing could take that away from him.

Or so it seemed.

After a few hours of swimming in the ocean, Jason and Brooke swam back to the sands and headed for their spot on the beach. By this time the sun had begun its decent, barely touching the watery horizon. Most of the visitors had left the beach and headed for their homes or hotels. Char and the others continued to run around the beach while Jason and Brooke sat down on their towels.

While Brooke began drying off her legs with her beach towel, Jason kept his sights on the sunset. He became lost in his thoughts about his time spent in this city. It wasn't until that very moment that he realized just how lucky he was. What started out as a simple good deed, coming to the aid of a complete stranger, turned into a special bond between them. She had given him a connection that he had long needed.

Brooke noticed Jason's gaze upon the horizon. She put her cargo shorts and approached him from behind, sliding her arms against his shoulders and chest while her head rested against his left temple.

"Hey," whispered Brooke as her arms clasped together, gently pushing his back towards her chest. "You ok?"

Jason nodded as he closed his eyes, obviously relaxed in her embrace. "Yeah," was all he could think to say.

Brooke didn't feel convinced. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. It's just……. It's been a while for me."

Brooke tilted her head slightly and asked, "What's been a while for you?"

Jason breathed in deeply and said, "Moments like these. Never had much of them back home."

Brooke moved herself next to Jason and looked into his eyes. "Never?"

Jason shook his head and said, "Not since my dad died."

Brooke lightly caressed his stubble and pulled him back into her arms. Jason had told her very little of his past. He mainly told her about his journeys as a Pokemon trainer and usually shied away from his home life on Cinnabar Island. All he had told her about his sad past was that his father passed away when he was very young and that his mother kicked him out. He neglected to tell about his former drug addictions, not that it would have mattered to her. She appreciated him for who he was, and she cared for him greatly.

After a half an hour of watching the sunset, Brooke decided that it was getting late. Although he regretted having to let go of their embrace, Jason agreed and called back his Pokemon. After Brooke recalled her Eevee, Jason and Char helped carry their things and walked Brooke back to her dorm. The walk was silent, but peaceful. The fresh scent of the beach still filled the air as they finally reached the front door of the dorm.

Char stood back a few paces from Jason and Brooke as they said their good-nights to each other. He knew that Jason needed this kind of time with her, and he was very happy for his trainer.

"I had a really great time," said Brooke.

"Yeah, me too. When can I see you again?"

"I don't have class tomorrow, so you can come see me in the afternoon if you want."

Jason smiled and said, "Alright. I better get going then. I'll see you around one?"

"Sure. I'll be in the lobby."

Finding the urge to be bold, Jason slowly paced towards her. "Well, goodnight Brooke," he said as he brought his lips towards hers.

With every bit of restraint in her, she simply smiled and completed his gesture of affection as they shared a small peck on each other's lips. "Goodnight."

Jason turned around and slowly walked away from the campus, only to halt his advance after no more than five steps. Something kept him from taking another step forward. Something that took the form of a two-headed beast, one head representing desire while the other represented fear. At that moment he had but two choices. He could either turn back around and take his chances by finishing what he started with that kiss, or he could continue walking forward and ensue his safe connection with her. His need for her affection outstanding, he made the decision to at least see if she were still outside.

As he slowly turned back around, he could see that Brooke had not moved an inch from where he had left her. Her emerald orbs that enticed Jason to no other end burned deep inside him with longing desire equal to his. There was no turning back. He made his need for her known the moment he turned around.

Finding every ounce of courage in his racing heart, he paced towards her. She soon started her advance towards him, both keeping direct eye contact as they met face to face. Once their faces became inches away from each other, Jason made the first move by gently placing his finger tips upon her cheek. Brooke's lips began to tremble at his touch as she closed her eyes, giving into her bliss. She leaned her head against Jason's fingers and held the back of his hand with hers.

Without a moment longer of hesitation, Brooke quickly pressed her lips against his and wrapped her arms around his neck, a kiss that he happily returned and held with her for a time that seemed endless to them. As the kiss deepened, he held her body close to him as he placed his hands on her back. They were completely absorbed in their much needed moment, oblivious to the world around them.

Once they parted lips, a warm smile formed from Brooke's moist lips as she leaned her forehead against Jason's. Their eyes were closed as they breathed in the fresh scent of intimacy they shared. After they had time to soak in the moment, Jason opened his dark grey eyes and looked into hers, noticing her comfortable smile. Slowly, they stepped back from each other as they let go of the embrace.

"I guess I'll see ya tomorrow," said Brooke as she paced backwards up the stairway to the dorm entrance.

"Yeah," said Jason. "Tomorrow it is."

Brooke reached for the entrance door and pulled it towards her. Before entering, she looked back at Jason and waved her hand slightly. Jason smirked at her and winked his left eye as she went inside. Once she was no longer in his sights, Jason lowered his gaze as he chuckled to himself. Though all this was happening at a bit of a fast rate, he didn't care. He had someone who cared about him in a way he needed for so many years, and the feeling instantly became addictive.

Jason turned around and walked towards Char. The reptilian companion walked with Jason to their camping spot so that they could call it a night and get some sleep.

* * *

Three weeks passed.

Jason woke up from his slumber one morning with the soothing sounds of the waves crashing upon the moist sands of the beach. He unzipped his sleeping bag and stood to his feet to see Char sleeping next to the camp fire with his tail keeping the flame alive.

Jason reached for a dark grey wife-beater shirt and put it on before he dropped to the ground on his hands and feet. As he started his morning push-up exercises, Char finally opened his eyes and yawned as he looked behind him to see Jason doing his push-ups. The strong Fire-Type slowly stood to his feet and approached Jason's backpack and reached in to grab a few food tablets.

After Jason finished his sixty-five push-ups, he grabbed his utility belt and released Shocker and Powerhouse from their Pokeballs. The two young companions yawned and stretched and joined Char with their breakfast. Jason grabbed an apple and took a large bite as his Pokemon ate their food.

Once they finished their morning meal, Jason rolled up his sleeping bag and gathered his belongings. He then lead his Pokemon further into the beach and began their morning jog.

Meanwhile in the abandoned watchtower, Barns and Philips looked through their binoculars and kept their sights on Jason and his Pokemon companions. Being that it was still early morning, very few people walked along the beach as Jason and his friends continued their jogging. Philips rubbed his eyes and yawned as he tried to keep track of Jason below.

"He started early today," said Philips.

"The man's a machine. Keeps in good shape, trains his Pokemon daily, and defeats any trainer who challenges him. It's a wonder that he finds time to spend with that girl of his."

Philips frowned at Barns and said, "When you're done fantasizing about this asshole, why don't you put a call to our Boss? We've been here for a month now, in case you haven't noticed."

"The Boss will only tell us the exact same thing. We keep track of his movements and wait for further instruction."

"The last call you made to the Boss was nearly two weeks ago, Barns! If he doesn't change his instruction this time, then I'll take matters into my own hands. Now make the call!"

Barns set down his binoculars and grabbed his cell phone from his pocket. "This is the last time I make a call to the Boss when there is nothing to report, Philips. I am getting sick and tired of your bitching!"

Barns dialed the number to Giovanni's headquarters and waited for a reply. After three ring tones, the Boss of Team Rocket himself, Giovanni, answered the call.

"Good morning, Sir," said Barns. "This is Lt. Barns. I regret the early hour but……….. I understand that, Sir, but my partner was fiercely insistent that I report Patton's movements……… No Sir, Patton has not left the city…………… That's my opinion as well, Sir, but there's a problem. He's grown rather intimate with a woman here…………….. I understand, Sir. It will be done………….. Yes Sir. Consider that done as well."

Barns hung up the phone and looked at Philips. "Our orders remain the same."

"Jesus Christ," shouted Philips. "Well then, shall we continue watching the asshole of the month like a pervert school boy gazes through an open window? Shit the bed, how I love working for the Boss!"

Philips turned his gaze towards Jason once more after his sarcastic remark. Barns set down his binoculars and quietly pulled out his pistol, sliding a silencer on it in the process.

"Oh my God," said Philips, continuing his sarcastic tone. "Patton's jogging! You were right, Barns. He IS a machine! Damn it, do I love to get paid to watch a worthless nobody jogging in the morning! It fills me with a since of pride knowing that our Boss simply doesn't give a shit about us! As soon as we get back to HQ, I'm gonna walk right up to the Boss, spit on his carpet, show him my ass and then tell him to go fu-"

Philips's angry yammering was brought to an abrupt halt by a near silent shrieking sound. The result of the shriek was a bullet wound that began at the back of Philips's head and ended with an exit wound in between his eyes the size of a golf ball. Blood spewed out of Philips's head and out the window he gazed upon. As Philips's body went limp, Barns dragged his dead partner's body away from the window and holstered his weapon.

"So long, Philips," he said in a cold tone.

Jason and his three companions continued their jog and passed by the watchtower. It was Shocker who noticed the blood pile in the sands by stepping in it. Once he realized that his paws were stained with the thick red liquid, he halted his steps and chirped at Jason and the others. Jason turned around and approached Shocker.

"What is it buddy," asked Jason as he kneeled down in front of Shocker.

Jason took a look at Shocker's paws and felt the liquid with his finger tips. He quickly realized that the liquid was blood and that it was recent. Suddenly, Jason heard the sounds of Char's growling behind him. Jason turned around to see Char looking above to the watchtower.

Jason gazed upon the watchtower with Char with high suspicion in his eyes. "Shocker, Powerhouse, you guys get back into your Pokeballs for now."

Shocker and Powerhouse did as instructed and tapped on the Pokeballs attached to Jason's utility belt. Once they were contained, Jason placed his hand on Char's shoulder.

"Come on, Char. We'll check it out later. We need to go now, quietly and casually."

Char looked at Jason and nodded before walking with him away from the blood stained sands. A great wave of worry struck at the heart of Jason as they walked away. Hopefully, he thought, whatever happened up there had nothing to do with him. Part of him, however, couldn't help but think about what had happened on Mt. Moon. If Team Rocket was in town, then he would have to be extra careful not to let them think that he knows until he strikes back.

Barns began wrapping a large thick cloth around Philips's limp body and tied a heavy metal chain around it. Being that it was daylight, he knew would not be able to move the body out of the watchtower yet. He stashed the body in a dark corner of the watchtower and climbed down to eliminate any traces of evidence in the sands.

Later that day, Jason and Char stood outside of the college dorm with a young trainer with them. The young boy had just lost to Jason in a battle and reached into his wallet to pay the price.

"Good match," said the boy as he gave Jason forty-five dollars in mixed bills.

"Thanks," said Jason as he counted the money. "You've got good Pokemon, they just need a little practice."

"Thanks again. See ya later."

As the boy left, Jason's attention went towards the dorm entrance when he heard the sound of clapping. There before him was none other than Brooke, wearing her warm smile as usual. Jason and Brooke walked towards one an other until Brooke leaped towards him, wrapping her arms and legs around his body as he caught her and kissed her.

Suddenly, Brooke broke away from the kiss and brought her legs back to the ground. "Did you quit smoking," she asked with excitement in her voice.

Jason chuckled and said, "Not all the way yet, but I have cut back."

"I can tell," she said before kissing him again.

She deepened the kiss to express her gratitude, rubbing her fingers along his short hair. Finally, they broke away and held each other close as they starred into each others eyes.

"So what are your plans today," she asked.

"Well, seeing as I just made a little cash, I thought I might take you to get something to eat."

"That would be great. I don't have class today, so we could just hang out at the beach until dinner time."

Jason felt a pang in his stomach. The last thing he wanted to do was bring her to a place where he thought he might be being watched.

"Uh, why don't we try something different this time. Isn't there a park we could check out nearby?"

Brooke tilted her head and said, "I suppose, but I thought you liked the beach."

"I do, it's just that I camp out there every night and you and I spend a lot of time out there anyway. I don't want to get tired of the beach, so maybe we could try something else today."

Brooke could tell that Jason was hiding something. His tone was timid and awkward. "Jason, if there's a reason you don't want to go there, you can tell me."

Jason looked away from her. He was caught. He knew he had to tell her something, but he didn't want to frighten her about something he wasn't exactly sure about.

"Me and my Pokemon saw something out there this morning. Something bad. I don't know what it was about, but it might have to do with what happened on Mt. Moon. I personally don't think that's the case, but I need to be sure about what it is before I feel comfortable going out there again."

Brooke began to worry about Jason. This was the first time he was actually afraid of something like this. She could tell he didn't really want to talk about it, so she decided to ease his worries as best as she could.

"Ok, Jason. We don't have to go out there if you don't want to."

"Alright then. I didn't mean to worry you. Let's not let this get in the way of us having a good time."

"You know," said Brooke with a heavy blush on her cheeks. "If you feel uncomfortable being out there, you could spend the night in my dorm."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah. I mean, you can if you want to."

It was Jason's turn to blush this time. "I, uh, yeah. Sure."

"Great. So are you ready to go to the park?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Later that day when the sun had begun to set, Jason, Char and Brooke headed for an Italian restaurant. The first thing Jason noticed when they approached the entrance was a sign that stated no Pokemon to be allowed inside.

"Damn," said Jason.

"Oh no," said Brooke. "They won't let you bring Char with us. Maybe we could find another place."

Char growled at Jason and Brooke. He shook his head and pointed at one of Jason's Pokeballs.

"You sure, Char," asked Jason.

Char responded by swatting Jason's shoulder and grabbing one of the Pokeballs.

"Aww," said Brooke. "You're so sweet, Char. We'll be sure to save you something before we leave."

Char winked at Brooke before tapping on the Pokeball. Once he was contained, Jason held onto the Pokeball Char was in.

"Sorry, buddy," said Jason as he hooked the Pokeball to his belt.

"That was nice of him," said Brooke.

"Yeah. It's been a while since I had him in one of these things."

"You think he'll be ok?"

"Yeah. I think he wants us to have this time together."

Brooke smiled at Jason as they went inside. Once they approached the front desk, the hostess lead them to a small booth table by a large window, of which they sat across from each other. The restaurant was large in size and crowded with people. Music was played by an accordion player and an opera singer and decorative pictures and paintings filled the walls.

After Jason and Brooke ordered their food, Brooke decided to bring up a subject that had been on her mind for quite some time now. "So Jason, how much longer do you think you'll be staying in town?"

Jason knew that this question was coming up sooner or later. "Well, I'm not really sure. I know I don't wanna leave anytime soon."

Brooke felt a pang of guilt in her. She knew that she was the reason why he stayed so long. "Jason, I know that you're going to have to leave sooner or later. All I'm saying is that I don't want to keep you from doing what you're supposed to do."

Jason could see that this subject made her sad. He even noticed a faint tear escape her eye. Hoping to comfort her, he reached towards her and placed his hands above hers.

"Brooke, it's not like we have to say good-bye for good when I leave. We could always keep in touch and I will come back."

Jason's words filled her with joy and relief, causing her to smile. "You would do that for me?"

"If you want me to."

Brooke's smile grew larger. She brought her sights towards the table in front of her as she gripped at his hands, holding them tightly as she tried to hide her heavy blush. Due to the small size of the table, Jason was able to lean forward far enough to kiss Brooke's left hand, causing her to look into his eyes once more.

"Jason," whispered Brooke, her eyes expressing outmost longing. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but….. I think I'm falling for you."

Jason's eyes widened. The last time anybody had expressed such affection towards him was before he lost his father so many years ago. It was a feeling he had long needed, the feeling to be loved. Finally, after thirteen years of waiting under a shadow of misery, the affection he so dearly needed was right in front of him, taking the form of a kind-hearted young woman from Vermilion City.

"What are you thinking about," asked Brooke, hoping beyond hope that Jason shared her feelings.

Jason snapped out of his thoughts and looked into Brooke's eyes. "…… I was thinking…… I already fell, and I fell pretty hard."

Brooke's grin grew wider once more as she leaned forward and kissed Jason passionately on his lips. Their moment, however, was interrupted when their waiter brought them their Italian food. As they ate, they chatted about various topics and enjoyed each others company with each passing second.

Later that night, Jason and Brooke entered her dorm room. It was small, lightly decorated with family pictures, with enough space for a small wooden desk and a full sized bed by the window opposite the door. The window faced in the direction of the distant beach, where a festival was being held.

As Jason put his backpack down near the door, Brooke gazed upon the window to see what was going on at the beach. Fireworks were set off above the waters, fireworks that ranged in all sizes and colors.

"Jason," said Brooke with excitement. "Come over here! There's a festival being held at the beach. You can see the fireworks from here."

Jason stood behind Brooke and took a look outside. Numerous explosions of brilliant light ignited the night sky, blocking out the stars.

"It's beautiful," whispered Brooke.

"Yeah, the view is very beautiful," said Jason, allowing a slight pause pass by before saying, "and the fireworks aren't that bad either."

Brooke's heart skipped a beat. She slowly turned around and met her eyes with his. Tracing her fingertips from his chest to his cheeks, she took away the small space between them and, for a duration that seemed like a life age, pressed her lips upon his as she closed her eyes. Jason returned the kiss, holding her close with his hands on her lower back.

As the kiss deepened slightly, Brooke ran her fingers back towards his chest and moved them underneath his black button-up over shirt, pushing it back as her fingers reached his shoulders. As the shirt fell to the carpet floor, Jason's tongue gently massaged her lips, hoping to gain entry. A soft moan escaped her mouth as it opened, allowing the kiss to intensify even further. As their breathing quickened, so did their exploring hands. Jason moved his hands up and down her sides, feeling her curvaceous figure before reaching inside her shirt. Brooke ran her fingers along Jason's short hair, breathing heavier than before as their tongues fiercely battled over dominion.

Brooke kicked off her sandals before pulling Jason to her as she paced back towards the bed. Suddenly, she broke away from the kiss and plopped herself down on the bed. Jason began to move forward but was halted by Brooke's left foot placed on his chest. Jason glanced at Brooke's foot before looking back at her to see a playful grin spreading across her lips. Jason caught on to her antics, smiling back as he began to massage her bare foot. Brooke was instantly enticed by Jason's hands rubbing her foot, closing her eyes and arching her back.

Brooke's pleasure was brought to an abrupt halt when Jason hasted his finger movements. She yelped and sprawled about the bed as Jason kept her foot close to him and continued to tickle it. Her laughter became louder and louder as she tried to free her foot from his clutches. Jason brought himself closer to her as his fingers tickled their way up her leg, reaching from her calf to under her knee.

Brooke grasped at Jason's hands and pulled them away from her leg, giggling as she pulled him closer to her. Jason brought his eyes directly in front of hers, keeping his evil smirk until he proceeded to kiss her once again. Brooke freed Jason's hands so that he could use them for support, holding himself up above her. Brooke's fingers made their way to Jason's back, running them down to his shirt's hem. She slowly pulled his shirt up until it was over his head, exposing his muscular physique. After Jason threw the shirt aside, Jason immediately pressed his lips on hers again as Brooke ran her hands along Jason's chest and shoulders as his body lowered, using his left forearm for support so that he could use his free hand to caress her cheek.

Jason could feel Brooke pulling away from the kiss, causing him to back away quickly with concern. Before Jason had a chance to ask what was wrong, Brooke held onto the hand that caressed her and kissed it ever so gently. She then let go of his hand and grabbed the bottom hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside to expose her tan stomach and white bra. She grabbed his hand and pulled it back towards her cheek, guiding his fingers to trace from her cheek down until his hand met with the softness of her breast. Jason rubbed and massaged the plush of her bosom as she pulled his head down towards her.

Both were in a state of pure ecstasy. Finally, after letting their feelings known to one another, they would be able to share a moment such as this without fear of rejection or regret. Jason had never experienced a connection such as this. The women he became involved in the past with were nothing compared to Brooke. She made everything appear brighter with a simple smile. No one had ever treated Brooke the way Jason had. He had the ability to make her forget all the mistakes she made in the past with the wrong people. She wanted him all to herself. She needed him, and she could sense his identical need by his touch.

Another soft moan escaped Brooke's moist lips as Jason moved his lips to her neck and his hand to her hip. As he began to nip at her neck, she planted soft kisses near his ear and sucked on his earlobe.

"Jason," she whispered into his ear. "God, Jason. I love you so much."

Jason moved away from her neck and gently placed his forehead upon hers. "I love you too, Brooke."

They kissed once more and continued their dance of passionate love making, giving into their ecstatic craving for each other. It was their first moment of this level together, and they made it a night that they would remember forever.

* * *

The next morning at about 10:30, Brooke woke up in her bed with her blanket covering her naked body. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with a big smile as she turned her body around to see Jason fully dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hey you," she whispered.

Jason turned his head towards her and placed his hand on top of hers, expressing heavy concern in his dark grey orbs. Brooke noticed that he was wearing his black gloves and that he was sweating. What concerned her even more was that his glove was stained with blood. Though he had no visible wounds on his face or arms, she couldn't help think that he had been hurt somehow.

"What happened," she asked as she lifted herself up, holding the blanket over her chest. "Did something happen to you? Where did you go?"

Jason took a deep breath and said, "I left early this morning to check on something."

Brooke immediately thought about Jason's reaction about the beach the day prior and said, "You went to see what happened at the beach, didn't you?"

Jason nodded. "Something bad happened out there."

Brooke's concern heightened by each passing second. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm alright, but I found this," said Jason as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a medium sized monitor screen with the Silph Co. emblem stamped on the bottom right corner and small blood stains on the screen. The monitor was switched on and displayed a picture of Jason's face with text underneath it that read:

_Subject: Jason Patton_

_Gender: Male_

_Age: 19_

_Area of residence: Unknown_

_Occupation: Pokemon Trainer, Pokemon Researcher_

_Employer: Professor Samuel Oak_

_Keep track of subjects movements and report daily. Considered unarmed but dangerous. Do not engage the subject under any circumstances until ordered by Giovanni._

More text could be read under the description, reporting Jason's movements from when he left Mt. Moon all the way to his involvements with Vermilion City. What caught Brooke's eye in the report was a description of herself, minus her name and residence.

"What does this mean," she asked.

"It means I've been followed."

"Oh my God. What are you going to do?"

"I need some time to think," was all Jason could think to say as he stood up from the bed.

"Where are you going," asked Brooke as her voice shook.

Jason turned back around and brought his face towards hers as he caressed her cheek. "I won't be far away. I'll come back in a few hours and I'll leave Char here with you until I come back."

As he finished his sentence, Char opened the door to Brooke's room and closed it behind him as he entered. Jason kissed Brooke's cheek and proceeded to the door. His movements were halted when Brooke grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her. She placed her hands on Jason's cheeks and planted a deep kiss on his lips. Jason returned the kiss and took hold of her hands, bringing them to his lips once they parted from the kiss.

"Come back to me," whispered Brooke as a tear escaped her eye.

"I will. I promise."

Jason stood up from the bed and approached Char, who was standing with his arms folded and his eyes expressing the sadness that matched Jason's.

"Keep an eye out for trouble, Char. I'll be back soon."

Char nodded and patted Jason's shoulder before his trainer left the room. Within minutes, Jason was outside the campus and heading for a back alley near the college dorm building. He rested his back against the brick wall of the alley and lit up a cigarette. As he took his first drag from his smoke, he contemplated what he needed to do.

* * *

4 hours earlier…

Barns climbed up the abandoned watchtower with a sack full of food in his hand. It was still early morning and the sun had barely risen from the horizon, leaving the inside of the watchtower dark with shadows. As he entered the small wooden space the smell of his dead partner crept into his nostrils, making them cringe. He had planned to move the body last night, but with the festival going on he had no way of moving the body without getting noticed.

As he set the sack of food down on the floor, he noticed that some of his equipment had been scattered about the small space in a way he hadn't left it. Without hesitation, he pulled out his pistol and loaded the weapon quickly. Suddenly, a great surge of pain was felt behind his left knee, forcing him down on both knees and causing him to drop the gun. Before he had any time to react, he could feel the edge of a small blade being pressed against his neck while a large Fire-Type Pokemon jumped inside the watchtower from the window.

"You amateurs never quit, do you," spoke the voice from behind.

Barns, knowing that he had been caught, knew that none other than Jason Patton was standing right behind him with a knife ready to be used.

"It seems that you are very observant, Patton."

"I knew I smelled something funny. I have had enough, you understand me?"

"If you would remove that blade from my throat, I would be happy to know what you mean."

Jason grabbed the hair of Barns and gave it a mean tug. "I mean, asshole, if you keep following me, I will turn you into a fucking Pez dispenser!"

"You don't get it, Patton. It's not up to me or you. If my employer wants you to be followed then it will be done. You should be lucky he doesn't want you dead."

Before Jason had time to respond, the sound of Barns's cell phone rang from his pocket. Barns neglected from reaching for it, trying not to urge Jason to slit his throat.

"You might wanna answer that, pal," said Jason. "Slowly."

Barns reached into his pocket carefully and placed the receiver to his ear. "Hello? ………Yes sir……… The situation has changed drastically, Sir. The subject is right behind me and is holding a knife to my neck……… I understand, Sir." Barns raised the phone towards Jason and said, "He wants to speak to you."

Jason let go of Barns's hair and grabbed the phone. "Char, watch him."

Char nodded and grabbed Barn's by the throat as soon as Jason's blade was clear. Jason walked towards the window and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hey Giovanni. How the hell are ya?"

_"Mr. Patton, we meet at last,"_ spoke Giovanni through the receiver. _"I must say I am quite impressed that you managed to find my grunt. He is one of my top stealth artists on my payroll."_

"Yeah, well when you hire amateurs to do your dirty work you get what you paid for. What do you want from me, Giovanni?"

_"Mr. Patton, you seem tense. I only wish to make you an offer. You have made quite an impression with Team Rocket thus far, and I see nothing but limitless potential in you and your services. Now, perhaps if you would like to meet in person-"_

"Forget it, Giovanni. I'm not interested in whatever you're offering. I've seen what people on your payroll do and I won't be part of it."

_"Do not mistake me for some petty crime lord, Mr. Patton. My intentions in this region are purely for the benefit of all. You will find, if you should choose to stand with me and my elite team, that working for me will benefit you a great deal."_

"I don't need your help for that, pal. You can shove your offer up your ass for all I care. I'm not interested."

_"Mr. Patton, you disappoint me. Surely you must realize that I have kept a very close eye on you the past few months. I know where that researcher now resides. Perhaps he could find a way to encourage you to see the bigger picture. Get it?"_

Jason's eyes widened. He knew about where Bill was hiding. If he knew then he might have already sent those Rocket Grunts to his lighthouse.

"What have you done with him?"

_"Oh nothing, not yet anyway. Now do you see why it would be in your best interests to meet with me, Mr. Patton?"_

Jason brought the phone away from his face as he let out a profound sigh. He was in a real mess. Giovanni knew where Bill's lighthouse was and using blackmail to bring him to the crime lord. Jason knew that he had to handle this very carefully. First thing was first. He knew he had to get Barns to talk.

Jason brought the phone back to his ear and said, "Alright, Giovanni. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm taking this asshole's phone with me. It will take me a while to reach you in Saffron City. A month and a half at most. I will call you when I reach town so that you can tell me where to go. If I hear anything about your grunts attacking Bill or anyone else I'm connected to, then you will see a side of me that not even you could imagine. Do not screw with me on this. Are we clear?"

Giovanni chuckled at Jason's demands. _"Alright, Mr. Patton. We have a deal on one condition: you will report your location every three days to me using that phone. It will assure me that you are well on your way. Agreed?"_

"Alright. Every three days it is then."

Jason hung up the phone and put it in his pocket. He then approached Char and Barns, motioning to Char to lift Barns up to his feet as he drew out his knife once again.

"What all does he know about me," asked Jason.

Barns remained silent and glared into Jason's dark grey eyes. Jason responded by grabbing the grunt's left arm and driving the blade across his forearm. Barns yelled out in pain as blood began to ooze from the wound. Char kept a firm grip on Barns's neck, keeping him from escaping as he struggled.

"SPEAK UP," shouted Jason.

"He knows that you're collecting data for Oak," said Barns. "He also knows that you've been staying here for a while on account of some girl."

Jason grabbed a handful of Barns's hair and brought the knife to his neck once more. "What does he know about her?"

Barns responded by spitting at Jason's face. "Go screw yourself, Patton!"

Jason grabbed the grunt's arm once more and made four more cuts. He then picked up a bottle of whisky, apparently belonging to the now dead Philips, and poured the liquid on the cuts, causing Barns to shout out in utter agony.

"Everything about you," shouted Barns, "is in that monitor screen! It holds data about your movements and the people you connected yourself to. Giovanni still hasn't seen that information. He's only received bits and pieces of what I have recorded thus far."

Jason eased himself away from Barns a step and said, "Is that it?"

"That's it, I swear!"

Jason nodded and said, "Alright, buddy. I believe you."

Jason nodded at Char, a gesture that told the powerful Fire-Type to knock out Barns. Char landed a strong back hand strike on the back of Barns's head and let his unconscious body fall to the ground. Jason knew that he needed this grunt to be put away so that he couldn't follow him anymore. Thinking quickly, he used his shirt to thoroughly wipe off any finger prints on his knife and set it next to Barns on the wooden floor. He then used his shirt once more to pick up the pistol and placed it next to Barns's right hand.

Before leaving, he returned Char to his Pokeball to avoid suspicion from the authorities in case Barns tried to expose Patton to the murder. He picked up the monitor screen that Barns mentioned and climbed down the watchtower without alerting anybody. On his way back to the college, he notified a local police officer that he thought he saw someone climbing up the old watchtower, knowing that the cop would check out the off-limits area to discover a homicide crime scene.

* * *

4 hours later…

Jason took one final puff of his smoke and activated his PokeGear. He entered the code to reach Bill's cell phone and waited for the researcher to answer. After two ring tones, Bill answered the call.

_"Hello,"_ said Bill.

"Bill it's me, Jason. Listen, have you seen anything strange happening where you are right now?"

_"Uh, none that I can think of. It's been rather quiet in my lighthouse. We haven't even had any visitors."_

"Alright, listen up. I need you to invest in some high-priced security over there as soon as possible."

_"Jason, what's going on?"_

"Giovanni's goons have been following me since I left your place. It's a good bet he knows where you are. Now he wants me to meet with him. I don't know where this will end up, but you need to lock up tight and get some serious protection over there now."

_"Oh my God, Jason. Thank you for telling me. Are you alright?"_

"I'll be fine for now. I'm gonna head over to Saffron City and try to end this mess. You keep a low profile in the meantime. You hear me?"

_"Yes, Jason. I'll get right on it. My father knows some people who can help us. You look after yourself. Don't do anything that will get you killed."_

"I'll try, Bill. I'll call you when matters improve."

Without another word said, Jason disconnected the call and immediately entered the code to Professor Oak's home phone.

_"Yes,"_ spoke Oak.

"Sam, listen. I've got trouble following me."

_"Jason? What kind of trouble?"_

"The ugly kind. Someone named Giovanni has been sending men to follow me since I left Bill's lighthouse."

_"Giovanni? Where are you?"_

I'm still in Vermilion City, but I won't be for long. The bastard arranged a meeting with me in Saffron City. I have to go or he'll come after Bill, maybe even you."

_"Jason, you don't understand! Giovanni is a ruthless crime lord! He will kill you if you show your face in that city!"_

"I don't think so. I think if he wanted me dead, it would have already happened by now. He's been waiting for me to head towards Saffron City so that he could offer me some kind of job."

_"Be that as it may, Jason, you are risking your life by going there. Bill told me all about what happened on Mt. Moon and-"_

"I know! Listen, I need you to do something for me. I need you to send one of your workers on a plane to Saffron City within the end of the month. Tell him to meet me at the Pokemon Center so that he can hold onto all the equipment you gave me, as well as my Pokemon. I won't let him get his hands on your research or my Pokemon if I can help it. I'll call you when I'm two days away from town so that you have time to send in your worker."

_"Jason, I don't think this is a good idea."_

"I don't either, but it's the only option I have. If I don't make it to that meeting then he'll come after you, he'll come after Bill, and he'll come after…… Brooke."

Jason's voice began to shake as he finished his last statement. He banged the back of his head against the brick wall and rested it there, trying dearly to get a hold of himself as his worry began to take over.

_"If there's no other way, then I will do everything I can. You be careful out there, Jason. Don't you dare die on me."_

"I'll do my best, Sam," said Jason before he cut the transmission.

Jason felt the balance in his knees leave him as he slid his back against the brick wall until he sat down on the concrete surface. He placed his hands over his face as a few tears fell from his eyes. He knew all too well what he had to do next. He would have to say good-bye to Brooke. He knew that if Giovanni found out about her that he would use her to get to him, a method that would prove to be most effective being that he would give everything up for her.

This was something Jason knew he had to do, despite the agony in his shattered heart. Brooke was the only person in the world that gave him what he needed most of all: love. He had fallen deeply for her as she did for him. Now he was being forced to leave her so that she would be safe from harm. It was too much for him to bear.

Jason pulled himself together as best as he could before standing to his feet and walking away from the alley. He headed straight for the college campus to do what he would have to do. Every step he took seemed like forever for him. The closer he was to Brooke's room, the more pain he felt inside of him.

After taking a deep breath, he reached for the door knob to Brooke's room but was unable to grasp it. He pulled his hand away from the door and rested his back on the wall next to it, tightly shutting his eyes and clenching his fists as another tear escaped his eye. This was too much for him to stand. Holding on to every ounce of courage he had in him, he grabbed the door knob and twisted it open.

Brooke quickly stood from the bed fully dressed and ran towards Jason, wrapping her arms around his neck as tight as she could. "Oh Jason, I was so worried about you!"

"I'm alright, Brooke," he said quietly as he slowly brought his arms around her back, not wanting to let go.

"What's going to happen now?"

Jason brought his eyes to hers and caressed her cheek. "I need you to listen to me now, Brooke."

Her fear grew with each passing moment. She was terrified at what he was going to tell her.

"I have to go away," was all he could muster to let out of his mouth.

"Will you come back?"

Jason could not speak. He could only shake his head slowly as yet another tear fell.

"Why," she whispered with a shake in her word.

Jason couldn't take this. He couldn't even stand to be held by her arms. He pulled away from the embrace and walked towards the bed, his gaze turned away from her.

"Because I love you too much, Brooke. If I stay here, then the person who's after me will find out about you and will use you to get to me. I won't let that happen. I won't let your life be used as a fucking bargaining chip. I have to keep him away from here."

Brooke's heart broke into pieces. She saw no lie in Jason, though she didn't want to believe him. Just when she was so sure that she could be happy with someone, that person had to leave her behind forever just so she would be safe. It wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen to her, or to him.

"What are you going to do," she asked, her voice barely reaching the level of a whisper.

"I'm going to make sure he doesn't come after you, or anybody else he might use to get to me. I have to draw his attention elsewhere."

Brooke ran towards Jason once more and held him close, burying her face into his chest as she let her tears fall freely. Jason held onto her as close as he could, this time letting out his tears while trying desperately not to let her hear him cry.

"It's not fair," she cried.

"I'm so sorry, Brooke. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Char kept his sights to the floor as Jason and Brooke held each other. The sorrow Char felt for his trainer was heavy. He knew how much Brooke meant to Jason, and he couldn't stand to watch him suffer like this.

Brooke let out a few more sobs before bringing her eyes to Jason's once again. "I want you to promise me something, Jason. Promise me that no matter what happens, you won't let anything keep you from what you can be. You're so strong, Jason. Don't lose that about yourself."

Before Jason could say anything, Brooke reached into her pocket and pulled out her only Pokeball, the Pokeball containing her young Eevee. "I want you to take her."

Jason backed away from her. "No. I won't take her from you."

"I'm giving you to her so that she can live a life she deserves. She deserves to be with someone like you. You can make her like you and your Pokemon. She'll look after you and keep you safe. Please take her, Jason. Take her and make her strong, like you."

Brooke placed the Pokeball in Jason's hand and closed it shut. Jason tried to find the right words to convince her to reconsider her decision, but couldn't. He looked into her eyes once more and pulled her closer to him, holding her in his arms for what few moments he had left.

Three hours later at the northern city limits of Vermilion City, Jason and Char watched as Brooke held onto Eevee, saying her good-byes and telling her that everything would be alright. Little Eevee's eyes were flooded with tears as she was set down in front of Jason. The brown-furred Pokemon walked towards Jason's legs and rubbed her side against them, showing that she trusted Jason.

Brooke walked towards Char and hugged him while saying good-bye. Char quickly returned the embrace as a small tear fell. Once they parted, Brooke walked towards Jason and kissed him with every ounce of passion she had left in her broken heart. Jason held on to her and returned the kiss, letting her know just how much he wanted things to be different. They broke away from their final kiss and looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Jason," whispered Brooke.

"I love you too, Brooke."

Jason slowly backed away from her, his eyes never leaving hers until he finally turned around and walked away. Char and Eevee followed close by as Brooke watched them leave. Though it was brief, their moment they had with each other would be remembered for the rest of their lives. Brooke eventually let out a small smile once they weren't within her sight. She knew that Jason would keep his promise and continue to be strong as he always was when she knew him.

* * *

_Well, there you have it. I told you it would be sad. Leave me some reviews while I work on the next chapter. It doesn't get much sadder than this, but the sorrow is far from over, folks. See ya next chapter!_

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey guys! Well it looks like my writer's block has indeed vanished!_

_In this chapter, we get to see Jason confront Giovanni, as well as re-introduce certain members of Team Rocket that will be making more appearences throughout the series. Be on the look out for familiar names before you reach the author's notes at the end of this chapter!

* * *

_

**Chapter 6: Paying The Price Of A Hero**

Ten Rocket Grunt males stood in Giovanni's office in the Silph Co. building located in the heart of the Saffron City downtown area. Five grunts stood behind Giovanni's desk wearing pitch black uniforms while the other five stood opposite from the desk wearing dark purple uniforms. Giovanni sat behind his dark brown wooden desk wearing a black business suit with blue and white vertical stripes. Sitting across from him was a middle-aged, though surprisingly attractive, long-haired brunette woman wearing a dark purple suit jacket, a white dress shirt, and a dark purple skirt with matching high-heels.

"Who the hell do you think you are, trying to overthrow me," said the woman, her tone expressing such anger and frustration.

"You misinterpret me entirely, Madame Boss," said Giovanni as he took a drag of his cigar.

"Do I? I know you're recruiting more and more staff members and grunts here in Kanto so that you might try to outnumber my staff. It will not work!"

"Is there something in the air in Johto that would lead you to believe such nonsense? I am recruiting so that our forces become stronger. You, of all people, should understand that we can not be feared by others without resources."

"Who do you think you are taking that insolent tone with me? I need no one to tell me how this organization operates, so don't try to get technical with me, my boy. You'll be up past your bedtime! I am still the Boss of this organization and I will see to my interests and investments."

"Then I strongly suggest that you return to Johto so that your interests and investments can be seen to. If you weren't too busy suspecting me of taking over, you would realize that our forces are not as strong in Johto as they should be."

"He's right, Madame Boss," spoke one of the grunts wearing purple, standing next to the Madame. "Johto is essential to our cause. If we maintain control in Johto and Kanto, then any syndicate in Hoenn will either flee from us or join us."

"When I want your opinion, Captain, I will give it to you," shouted the Madame.

"You are not thinking logically, Madame," said Giovanni. "Your growing suspicion in me is keeping you from running our forces in Johto. In regards to that subject, I need you as much as you need me. Johto is an opportunity, but Kanto is a priority. You have made something out of an opportunity with the creation of Team Rocket here in Saffron City. My suggestion to you is to stick to your opportune tactics in Johto while I handle the priority of Kanto."

The Madame slowly stood from her seat and glared into the eyes of Giovanni. "I make the decisions here, not you! I will return to Johto, but I require more men. I want, in writing, fifty percent of any new recruits you hire to be sent to me in my base of operations in Goldenrod City."

"A highly unreasonable amount. I will send you no more than twenty percent."

The Madame planted a hard slap to Giovanni's face, forcing him to flinch. Giovanni slowly brought his sights back to the Madame with outmost anger showing in his eyes.

"You are in no position to negotiate any of my terms," shouted the Madame. "I will cut out your heart if more of your insolence becomes apparent towards me, you arrogant bastard-"

Giovanni pounded his fist as he quickly stood up from his seat. "You would know best of all of us just how much of a bastard I am. Wouldn't you, my dear mother?"

"Forty percent of all new recruits. Not one percent lower."

Giovanni clenched his fists to contain his rage. He needed her in Johto if Team Rocket were to expand. With every ounce of restrain the had in his body, he nodded and shook her hand to seal the deal.

"Very well, Madame Boss. Forty percent it is then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to."

"Aren't you going to kiss your mother good-bye," she asked with an evil smirk.

Giovanni slowly walked around his desk and approached the Madame. They exchanged cheek kisses before the Madame wrapped her arms around his shoulders, an embrace that Giovanni would not return.

"Don't screw with mommy," she whispered into his ear before letting go of the embrace and walking towards the door.

The Madame's grunts followed her out of the office, leaving Giovanni and his grunts in black. Giovanni placed his cigar on an ashtray and gazed upon his massive window behind his desk. The window offered a big view of the city, showing the tall skyscrapers and the heavy traffic in the downtown streets below.

"She's growing reckless," said the grunt closest to Giovanni. "Her suspicions are costing us time and progress."

"She does so, Captain Turner," began Giovanni, "because she knows that I am growing more powerful than she could ever hope to become. Her fixation with money keep her from growing stronger, a weakness that becomes more and more apparent to her staff in Johto. Soon, they will realize that she is unfit to lead this organization. When that happens they will answer to me, giving me full control and allowing me to eliminate the problem areas. She will be dealt with soon enough. For now, we must rely on her abilities to expand. Once we have total control of the crime in Johto, it will be only a matter of time before her term as Madame Boss expires."

Giovanni laughed as he thought about the future events. As his laughter was joined with the grunts in his office, Giovanni kept his sights on the view beyond the window.

* * *

Jason and Char walked towards the Saffron City Pokemon Center. Jason wore his grey hooded jacket with the hood over his head, trying to keep a low profile. Char followed close with sharp eyes studying their surroundings.

It took Jason and his companions nearly a month to navigate the woods leading to Saffron City. In that time, Jason had begun training his newest addition, Eevee. Being that she was so much small than the others and that she walked on all fours, training her was a difficult task. Luckily, Shocker was able to help Jason with Eevee's training, being that Shocker also walked on all fours most of the time. She had little ability in battles but she did have her strong sides, using surprise attacks to stall her opponents.

Jason and Char entered the Pokemon Center to be greeted with Professor Oak's learner from Pallet Town, Walter. Jason approached Walter and shook his hand, greatly appreciative that Oak had sent him.

"We meet again, Mr. Patton," said Walter.

Jason nodded and said, "Did Sam tell you what you're here for?"

"Yes. I am to collect your gear and to hold onto it until after your meeting with Giovanni."

Jason handed Walter his Pokedex and PokeGear. "There are at least one-hundred and twenty entries in that Pokedex. It should be enough for Sam to get himself started."

Jason pulled out a small photo from his pocket and handed it to Walter. It was a photo of Jason and Brooke at the beach.

"If I don't make it, I need you to find that girl for me and give her my Pokemon. Her name's Brooke Roper. She's a freshman at the largest college in Vermilion City. My Pokemon are well trained, and they'll be able to earn her some quick cash from battles in case she needs it."

Walter took a good long look at the picture and then brought his sights to Jason. "Do you really think you won't make it out of there alive?"

"I don't know. I've pissed this guy off pretty bad. There's no telling what this guy wants from me. I've already took some precautions on keeping your boss safe from harm. Sam should know about the monitor screen that's in my backpack. He'll know what to do with it. There's also a bank account number on my PokeGear. I've saved up around five grand and I want half of that to go back to Sam. The other half is going to a researcher named Bill Harris in Cerulean City."

Walter nodded and said, "I'll take care of everything. Good luck, Jason."

Jason patted Walter's shoulder before heading for the front entrance. Before he could take another step, he felt the scaly hand of Char on his shoulder keeping him from moving forward. Jason turned around to see Char frowning at him.

"Not this time, Char. I gotta see this thing through alone."

Char shook his head and growled at Jason.

"Don't argue with me, goddamn it! I'm not gonna let this asshole do to you what he might do to me."

Jason placed his hand on the back of Char's head and his other hand on Char's shoulder. "I need you to look after Brooke and the others if I don't make it. You're the only one who can keep them strong, Char. You hear me? You're my best friend, and I won't let him hurt you."

Char lowered his head and rested it on his trainer's. Jason wrapped his arms around his friend and held on tight.

"It's going to be alright, Char," Jason whispered. "No matter what happens, everything is going to be alright."

"Hello, Jason," spoke the voice of a man behind Jason.

Jason turned around to see none other than Professor Oak standing in front of the door of the Pokemon Center.

"What the hell are you doing here," asked Jason as he let go of the embrace. "If Giovanni finds out that you're here-"

"I am not about to let you go see that abomination of a man without wishing you good luck, Jason," said Oak.

Jason tried his best to find something to say that would convince Oak to leave, but nothing came out. He knew that Oak wasn't just going to leave.

"We will wait for you to return," said Oak. "Don't you dare talk like you're not coming back. You get yourself out of this, and when you're done Walter and I will be here with Char. You have plenty to keep Giovanni off of your back. I don't want to see another dead hero."

Jason sighed and shook his head. "Keep out of sight, Sam. I'm serious."

"Will do, my friend. Come back in one piece."

Jason nodded and left the Pokemon Center. Oak, Walter and Char went outside after him and watched as Jason walked into the downtown area, hoping to God that he would make it back.

* * *

A man and a woman sat across from Giovanni in his office. The man wore a grey vest with the Team Rocket emblem over a blue wife-beater shirt and grey pants. His bleached blonde hair was of medium length and was stylishly gelled to stick up. The woman was slim in physique, as opposed to the man's muscular build, and had many white streaks in her long black hair. She wore a small, grey, jersey-style shirt with the Team Rocket emblem over a long-sleeved blue shirt and wore grey pants.

"Once we reached the lighthouse, we found that it was heavily guarded," said the man. "Judging from their weapons and the body armor they were wearing, we concluded that the men guarding the lighthouse were SWAT team officers."

"What weapons were they carrying," asked Giovanni.

"Fully automatic assault rifles with laser scopes and grenade launchers," responded the woman. "They might as well had been wearing camouflage."

Giovanni nodded and said, "Good work Commander Attila and Commander Hun. Go now to Ecruteak City and see to your tasks with Professor Sebastian."

Attila and Hun stood up from their seat and saluted Giovanni. They both put on a pair of black sunglasses and exited the office. Captain Turner approached Giovanni from behind and set down a black notebook on the desk.

"What will you do about the researcher," asked the captain.

"I suppose that will be entirely up to Mr. Patton when he arrives. He should be here within a day or two, and we'll finally be able to settle this."

Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from Giovanni's intercom next to his phone. Giovanni pressed the button to silence the buzzing and answer the call.

"I told you I didn't want to be disturbed after my meeting with the two Commanders."

_"I am terribly sorry, Mr. Giovanni,"_ said a very nervous sounding lady through the intercom. _"But there's a Jason Patton in here who strongly insisted that he meet with you. I figured you would want to at least talk to him considering that he just knocked out the two Commanders you just spoke with."_

Giovanni raised his eye brows and let out a surprised smirk. "Send him in."

Giovanni turned his sights towards Turner. "Take caution with this one, Captain. Allow him to at least verbally express himself."

The captain nodded as Jason opened the door to Giovanni's office. Jason glared at Giovanni and paused before finally saying, "Well, you're still as ugly as I remember."

Giovanni smirked and said, "Ah, Mr. Patton. I must say that you're here sooner than expected. Please, have a seat."

Jason sat down in one of the chairs across from Giovanni and took notice to a small faded scar above Turner's left eye.

"Didn't I see you on Mt. Moon," asked Jason with a slight smirk.

Turner nodded with a smirk of his own. "Good memory, Mr. Patton."

"Would you care to have a drink," asked Giovanni. "We have quite a selection of fine wines and liquor."

"No," was all Jason said.

Giovanni chuckled. "Very well then. Straight to the point I suppose, eh Mr. Patton?"

Jason let out an annoyed smile and said, "Please."

Giovanni sat back in his seat and lit up a cigar with a high priced lighter. "As you've undoubtedly guessed, I want you to work for me. Your attack on my troops on Mt. Moon have raised my interests in you. You've even managed to spot my stealth artist in Vermilion City."

Jason lowered his sights at the mentioning of Barns. "Yeah. Wasn't he sent to prison for first degree murder?"

"You are not mistaken, Mr. Patton. You managed to eliminate all evidence of your involvement with Lt. Barns. It seems that your potential knows no bounds. I apologize, by the way, for that man's involvement with you. I had him follow you to keep track of your movements so that I would arrange a meeting with you. Being that you are a Badge collector, I knew that you would show up in town sooner or later. It seems that I have a knack for keeping close track of my interests."

"If you wanted to see me, then why didn't you just ask me yourself or have that idiot ask for you?"

"I find it's best to know what I am getting myself into before approaching a potential recruit. Speaking of which, I understand that you are currently employed by Professor Samuel Oak. Tell me, what are the terms of your services to him?"

"It's simple. I work for him and he pays me money."

"Won't you describe your work?"

Jason knew that Giovanni was trying to get more leverage on him. Needless to say, Jason was getting pretty fed up with this man. Jason reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"You mind," asked Jason as he motioned to Giovanni with the pack.

"No, not at all, By all means, Mr. Patton."

Jason lit up a smoke and leaned back in his chair. After taking a large puff, he looked Giovanni dead in the eyes and began a different approach in the conversation.

"What I do for Oak is none of your damn business, Giovanni. I'll also say that I'm getting tired of you sticking your nose into mine."

Giovanni chuckled and said, "Just the sort of attitude I would expect to see in a man with your potential."

"Enough with the flattering, asshole. I want no part of your organization."

Giovanni kept his smirk and motioned for Turner. "Captain, leave us."

Turner approached the door of the office and opened it. Little did Jason know was that Turner had no intention of leaving. Turner shut the door and stood in front of it, waiting for Giovanni to give the order as he pulled out a black nightstick.

"I assumed that you would be smart enough to realize that I have methods of persuasion that might encourage you to see things my way. I know where that researcher Harris is located, and I have ways of getting passed SWAT team security. And as for your employer, Professor Oak, I suppose I could ask him what he think about you making a transfer to my area of work. Don't you understand, Mr. Patton? I can be your beloved Boss or your worst enemy, but either way I will have my interests seen to. All I ask is that you work for me as a high ranking officer. Do that and I will forget what happened on Mt. Moon and I will act as if Bill Harris never existed."

Jason slowly nodded and said, "Wow. That, uh, that sounds like a pretty good deal."

Giovanni smiled and chuckled, thinking that he had won. His smile faded as Jason took one last drag of his smoke and, rather than putting it out in the ashtray, smashed it into the expensive red carpet with his boot.

"But I think I've got a better one, Giovanni. How about I show you my middle finger," he said with a smile as he flipped off Giovanni with his left hand, "and you get to stay out of prison."

Giovanni clenched his fists and said, "And what could you possibly have over me in regards to the law?"

Jason scoffed and said, "How about a medium sized monitor screen with all my information stored in it?"

"I beg your pardon," asked Giovanni as he narrowed his eyes.

"Like I said before, Giovanni. You hire amateurs to do your dirty work and you get what you paid for. I took it from that lackey of yours in Vermilion City and kept it for safe keeping. It's in a safe place and can be used against you if you provoke me. You being someone that has to deal with the law, you should know that stalking is a punishable offense in this region. That monitor has my face and your company name on it, and that will be enough for the cops to get search warrants for your building. I'm betting that the last thing you want is for the cops to be sticking their heads in your base of operations, and I can make that happen. I've got people expecting me to show up after this meeting, and if I don't make it back they will expose you in a heartbeat."

Giovanni was taken aback by Jason. This was an unexpected move on the trainer's part, one that could in fact be used against Giovanni. Even if he could keep the cops from seeing what he didn't want them to see, other members of Team Rocket could see a mishap like this as a form of weakness. He would lose all loyalty and would be hunted down.

"Well now," said Giovanni. "Haven't we been busy."

Despite Jason's move against him, Giovanni couldn't help but smile at the trainer. He respected Jason for using whatever resources he needed to make his plans work. Indeed, he would have made a fine addition to Team Rocket had things been different.

"Alright, Mr. Patton. I admit defeat."

Jason nodded and said, "I don't want to see another Rocket Grunt following me, nor do I want to hear about any of them hassling the people I'm connected to. To be honest, Giovanni, I don't want to be considered a threat to you. I would much rather go on about my business and see this whole thing as a big misunderstanding, but I will take a gigantic shit on your program if you screw with me. Got it?"

"Heard and understood, Mr. Patton. Captain Turner?"

Jason frowned and turned around only to be struck in the face with the captain's nightstick. Jason fell to the ground and suffered three more hits before Turner lifted Jason up by the arms and placed his left hand on Giovanni's desk. Giovanni reached into one of his desk shelves and pulled out a small hatchet. He then grabbed Jason's middle finger and kept it in place on his desk. Jason tried to struggle his way out, but Turner's grip was too strong.

"You're going to feel a great amount of pain in your middle finger, Mr. Patton. Don't let this fool into thinking that I will break my word. I always thought of signing in blood a much more effective way of sealing a deal. This will remind you of what happens when you try to worm your way through me. Let this also be a reminder that you have not seen the last of Team Rocket"

Giovanni chopped off half of Jason's middle finger with the small hatchet. The pain was so excruciating that Jason was unable to scream at the agony he felt in his hand. He let out a muffled sound from the back of his throat as he fell to the floor, blood oozing from the wound.

Giovanni picked up the piece of flesh that once belonged to Jason's hand and flicked it like a coin. "I think I'll keep this for safe keeping. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Patton"

* * *

Oak and Walter sat outside of the Pokemon Center while Char stood ten feet away with his arms folded, waiting for his trainer to return safely. Oak became more and more worried the longer they waited for Jason.

"It doesn't seem possible," said Walter with his sights to the pavement. "How someone could step directly into danger, knowing that he could die at any time so easily."

"Jason is an enigma of courage," responded Oak. "The only reason Jason is meeting with Giovanni is because that man threatens the people he cares about. He threatens me, he threatens Bill Harris, and maybe even the girl he met in Vermilion City."

Walter reached for the photo of Brooke and Jason and presented it to Oak. "Can't say I blame him."

Oak took a good look at the photo and slowly let out a warm smile. "That's a smile I have never seen from him. He was truly happy in Vermilion, all because she gave him something he had given to others but never received back. He carries hope for others and keeps none for himself. I knew that the moment he agreed to the task I assigned him."

Suddenly, Char began running towards a distant figure walking awkwardly towards the Pokemon Center. It was Jason. His face portrayed a look that Char knew very well, for it was the look he had when he had been brutally hurt in some way. Oak and Walter noticed Char's quick pace towards Jason and stood up to their feet, slowly walking towards Jason.

Jason held his hand under his arm as blood continued to stain his jacket and shirt. His eyebrows were up slightly and his eyes were opened only halfway. Behind him were two distant Rocket Grunts standing in a sidewalk watching Jason walk away.

"Hey Char," shouted Jason, trying not to illustrate his pain through his voice.

Char quickly noticed the blood and desperately looked to Jason for guidance.

"I need to lean on you for a second, Char. Don't even think about looking behind me."

Char put his arm around Jason's shoulder as his trainer leaned against him. Char began growling as he turned his head to the side, careful not to look directly behind them.

"Don't give it another thought, Char. Just keep walking."

"Jason," shouted Oak.

"Hey guys! Haven't seen you in a while," shouted Jason, trying to deceive the grunts behind him.

Jason shrugged off Char's arm and continued to walk towards the Pokemon Center. "Let me go for now, Char. I gotta get this finger sown up before I pass out."

Char let Jason go, though he wanted desperately to help his trainer. Oak and Walter approached Jason and attempted to find out what happened. Before either of them had a chance to speak, Jason raised his good hand up to silence them.

"First person to touch me I'd kill," was all Jason said as he passed by in between Oak and Walter.

Walter put his hand over his mouth, shocked appalled at what happened to Jason. As Char passed by Oak and Walter, Oak starred at the two grunts that were watching Jason. The grunts expressed their satisfaction with mischievous grins as they saw the saddened look on Oak's face before the Professor and his aid went inside.

* * *

_Well, don't I feel like an asshole keeping you on your toes only to end this chapter with a cliffhanger! Sorry guys, but you're gonna have to wait for the next chapter!_

_By the way, there are confirmed anime characters from Team Rocket that appear in this chapter. The first being Giovanni's mother, who has been refered to as On'na Boss or Madame Boss in the anime. Also, Attila and Hun are from the anime, however I went ahead and made Hun a woman because I think Hun looks like one!_

_Anyway, the next chapter may take some time to post. Don't worry, I won't make you wait as long as you guys did the last chapter. It should be posted within the week, hopefully._

_See ya next chapter!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Alrighty then! This is the Chapter 7 replacement! I went ahead and deleted the older one because I didn't like the pace of the chapter, for one, and I didn't like the angle I approached as well. This chapter is a lot shorter than usual, for that I apologise, but I think it has better quality than what used to be here. So anyway, enjoy!

* * *

_

_Chapter 7: Recovery_

Jason woke up in a hospital bed one night. His eye sight was blurry from the bright ceiling light and his head ached immensely. A large cut over his right eye was stitched up and a few bruises illustrated more proof of his abuse from Giovanni's right hand man, Captain Turner. As he moved his head away from the light above, he felt the scorching pain in his left hand where Giovanni had removed the top half of his middle finger. His hand was bandaged up with white cloth and tape, of which was stained with his blood.

Jason sat up from his hospital bed and looked around. The walls were decorated with childish paintings and beige colored wallpaper. The sound of rain could be heard from outside the lone window, a sound that put Jason's mind at ease. To his right, he could see his employer, Professor Oak, asleep in a small chair with a book in his limp hands. Knowing that he was in a hospital, he knew that the staff would not allow Char to walk freely about the building. As such, he assumed Oak had kept him contained in his Pokeball.

Jason nudged Oak's shoulder a bit, trying to wake him from his slumber. The exhausted professor's body twitched as his eyes opened suddenly. After he rubbed his eyes, he turned his sights towards the bed to see Jason staring at him.

"Jason," said Oak as he rearranged himself in his seat. "Thank God you're alright."

"How long have I been out, Sam," asked Jason with a groggy voice.

"Not long. A few hours. You fainted in the Pokemon Center just before you reached the front desk."

Jason rested his head on his pillow and sighed. "Any trouble from Giovanni?"

"Don't worry about that right now."

"Just answer the damn question, Sam. Has he sent anyone to follow you?"

Oak shook his head as he lowered his sights. "No, Jason."

Jason nodded and scoffed. "Good. Then he won't."

"What makes you so sure, Jason? He's a criminal."

"He's afraid of me," responded Jason with a smirk. "He knows he's not in charge of what I do or where I go."

"I hope you're right, Jason. I really do. I think you're lucky to be alive."

Jason looked at his bandaged hand. "How long do I have to stay here?"

"Only until you recover. You hand is healing rather well and the cut over your right eye thankfully didn't impair your vision."

"I don't look cockeyed, do I?"

"No. Your eye is just bloodshot. You should be out of here by tomorrow depending on how you feel."

"I feel fine. Where are my clothes?"

Jason sat up from his bed once more and presumed to swing his legs over to the floor. Oak halted his advance by placing his hand on Jason's chest and applied pressure.

"No, Jason. For now you rest. I won't let you out of this bed until your wounds are completely healed, and that's final. You gave me quite a scare in that Pokemon Center. Don't keep me afraid for your health any more than I need to."

Jason slowly laid back down and sighed with frustration in his breath. He hated hospitals. He had been inside one too many times as a child. It gave him an unhappy vibe and reminded of his past.

"I ain't staying here longer than I have to, Sam."

"Nor am I asking you to do so. All I ask is that you rest for now. You'll be on your feet in no time, Jason."

Jason closed his eyes and tried to ease his mind so that he could fall asleep. The pain in his left hand was so apparent to him that he could not calm his mind. Along with the pain, his thoughts drifted towards his less than pleasant memories. The helpless feeling he had reminded him of what his life was like before he became a Pokemon trainer.

* * *

The next day, Jason walked out of the hospital entrance with Char and Oak behind him. Reaching into one of his utility belt pouches, he grabbed a pack of smokes and lit one of them up as he monitored his surroundings. The busy streets and sidewalks were filled with people wearing coats for cold weather, being that it was the season of autumn. Jason zipped up his hooded jacket, of which was still stained from his blood, and turned around to face Oak and Char.

"Keep that monitor screen hidden," said Jason to Oak. "I think it's about time you headed home, Sam. Me and Char still have a job to do."

Oak's worried expression became ever present. "Jason, perhaps you should take some time-"

"I said I would do the job you assigned me and I'll do it, Sam. The longer I stay in action, the more data you receive. If Giovanni starts sticking his nose in my business again, you'll hear about it and you'll know what to do. I'm not gonna let that asshole feel as if he's got a pubic hair's worth of effect over me or what I do."

Oak gazed upon Jason's expression. He had the look of a cold, yet determined trainer. His eye lids were narrow and his brows tilted downward. His hands were clenched and his head lowered slightly.

"Just be careful out there, Jason."

Jason nodded and walked away, Char following closely. Oak watched as Jason left without another word said. Though he knew Jason would continue to grow as a trainer and collect data, he still had high concerns for his well being. He never met anyone who could take and walk away from such traumatic abuse like Jason did. Hopefully, this experience would not turn Jason into someone else. Someone cold, apathetic, and maybe even suicidal.

"Good luck, my friend," Oak whispered to himself. He turned around and walked towards the Pokemon Center, where Walter waited to make arrangements for the return to Pallet Town.

Jason and Char walked along the sidewalks of Saffron City's downtown area in the direction of where the city's Pokemon Gym was located. They halted their footsteps as they caught sight of the glass entrance of the Silph Co. building. Jason looked through the glass entrance doors to see that the man who took the top half of his middle finger, Giovanni, standing with a few business suit wearing men and a few Rocket Grunts in front of the front desk.

Giovanni caught sight of Jason and Char and interrupted the conversation he had with his colleagues to meet his eyes with Jason's. Smirking over his supposed victory, he waved his left hand at Jason, jiggling his middle finger back and forth to taunt him.

While Char snarled and growled at the mob boss, Jason peeled off the white straps of cloth covering his left hand and clenched his hand into a fist. He then smirked back at Giovanni as he gave the gangster boss the same rude gesture he gave him the last time they conversed, flipping off the mob boss with his stump of a middle finger.

"I'll get you back one day, you son of a bitch," whispered Jason as he lowered his wounded hand. "One day I'll get you back."

Jason motioned for Char to follow him as they walked away. Giovanni kept his smirk as one of the Rocket Grunts approached him.

"Do you want us to follow him, Sir?"

Giovanni shook his head and said, "His time will come. As my retched mother always said, all good things to those who wait."

* * *

Jason and his Pokemon companions spent months traveling through the woods of Route 7 west of Saffron City. Jason had collected his forth Gym badge from the young masked Psychic-Type trainer, Will Clement. Being that he had little experience battling Psychic-Type Pokemon, Jason switched his Pokemon continuously until Char dealt the final blow, claiming Jason the victor. Since then, he had been traveling west for Celadon City, training along the way in preparation for the next badge.

Jason sat in front of the camp fire one night in the woods with a picture in his hand while Char was already sound asleep. The picture he held was of him and Brooke. He held it with his right hand and lightly caressed the face of Brooke with his left index finger.

Sorrow filled his heart as he gazed into her eyes. In order to keep Giovanni and his goons away from her, he knew that he would have to distance himself from her at all costs, probably for good. Though he had plenty of leverage against the Saffron mob boss, he wasn't willing to risk putting her in any danger. If Giovanni found out about her and decided to take a chance by using her to get to him, Jason would never forgive himself and would ultimately give up everything to save her. The cost was too much to bear for him. He had to stay away from the only person who truly loved him since the tragic death of his father to keep her safe and anonymous.

A small tear fell from his eye as he brought the photograph to his cheek, rubbing it back and forth. He longed to see her smile again. He yearned for her gentle touch, her delicate finger tips caressing his cheek as her soft lips brushed against his. He wanted to hold her again in his arms, keeping her safe from harm. He wanted something he knew he could never again have with another person.

Keeping it out of his eyesight, he ripped the photograph into small pieces and threw it into the camp fire, burning away the memories of the love he once had. The fire grew slightly in size as the photograph burned into the ash pile beneath the burning wood.

Jason's tears fell freely as he stood up to his feet and leaned his shoulder against a tall tree, facing away from the camp fire. Quiet sobs escaped his breath as more tears fell from his eyes. He felt alone all over again. From his family to his beloved Brooke, he had lost all who had loved him at one time. This made him feel helpless and alone, and it was a feeling that he thought he could forget when he was with Brooke.

Suddenly, Jason felt a rough hided hand press against his shoulder. He turned around to see Char behind him. The reptilian Fire-Type let out a warm smile to his hurt trainer, a smile that expressed gratitude and loyalty. Jason, at first, couldn't return the smile as he turned his head away from his companion. Char's smile faded but he kept his mindset on Jason's well-being as he nudged Jason's shoulder and grunted at him.

Jason slowly turned his head back towards Char with the same heartbroken look in his eyes. Char gave Jason the same warm smile as Jason placed his hand on the scaly hand that was placed on his shoulder. Slowly, Jason returned Char's smile and wrapped his arms around his companion's back and shoulders, an embrace the Char quickly and tightly returned.

"I'll always have you, Char," Jason whispered into Char's ear. "You're my family, and I won't let you down. I promise."

Char let go of the embrace and bumped his head against Jason's, causing Jason to flinch a bit. Jason laughed and grabbed Char's hand. The two looked into each other's eyes with pride and determination as they rammed their heads together once more.

"We're gonna grow strong, Char. When that happens, we're gonna show the world something they've never seen before. No one will ever bring us down again."

Minutes later the camp fire had died down. Jason's body was covered in his sleeping bag as he gazed upon the starlight sky. His mind was lost in his thoughts about what lie ahead. He knew that he would have a lot of traveling to do, but it didn't matter to him. As long as he had his family of Pokemon, Char, Shocker, Eevee and Powerhouse by his side, they could accomplish what ever they put their minds to. He calmed his mind of his thoughts of the future and let himself slowly fall into a very peaceful sleep, for tomorrow he would wake up to a brand new life all over again.

* * *

_And there you have it! The improved Chapter 7. I thought it was about time that we see this side of Jason once more._

_The next chapter is going to be a HUGE jump to the future. I will explain in detail what Jason had been up to but the time to approach the Indigo League is very near. No that will not happen in the next chapter, but events that lead up to it will happen. Not only that, but something unexpected and amazing happens! I won't go into detail what happens, but I will tell you that one of the Legendary Birds of the first generation makes a wiked appearence!_

_Last on my list: I NEED REVIEWS!! I'm not saying that the 12 I have aren't good reviews, but I am saying I could use a little more feedback guys! I am grateful for the reviews I have thus far, but keep in mind that I live for YOUR input. Please don't be shy and tell me what you think!_

_See ya next chapter!_


	8. Chapter 8

_What's goin' down, what it is! First of all, I would like to give my most sincere apologies for taking so long in updating my story. I suffered a terrible writer's block that lasted about half the time it took to write this chapter, while the other half was thwarted by my busy schedule. It shouldn't happen again, and no I haven't forgotten about this fic. I said I was going to see this series through to the end and I meant it._

* * *

**Chapter 8: Final Detour To The League**

A young boy wearing a white T-shirt, baggy jean shorts and a ball cap starred in awe at the small feline-like Pokemon that knocked out his Ivysaur using powerful Psychic-Type abilities. The opposing Pokemon had very short, lavender fur and eyes with a darker shade of purple. Her vulpine-like ears were long and slender and her long tail split into two sections near its tip. Resting between her eyes was a bright red jewel that would remind the viewer of a finely cut ruby.

The youngster took off his hat and recalled his Ivysaur back into its Pokeball. "My Pokemon couldn't even last ten seconds against yours," said the boy in disbelief.

The man he had addressed was a twenty-three year old man standing behind the victor of the battle. He wore a black, unbuttoned long-sleeved dress shirt over a grey wife-beater shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. On his hands he wore a pair of black hell-raiser style gloves and dark brown boots on his feet. His hair was dark brown, short in length, and naturally spiky, and his goatee outlined his lips and chin while his raggedy stubble outlined his jaw line.

The older trainer put on a pair of black sunglasses and said to the youngster, "Don't sell yourself short, kid. I've got twenty-four badges pinned on the inside of my over shirt backing up my game. Being a good trainer takes time and practice. Just keep battling and you'll do better with time."

The young boy smiled and pulled out a small wad of cash from his pocket. The older trainer raised his hand up as the boy approached him, halting his steps.

"Don't worry about it, kid. Keep it."

The boy frowned and said, "But I lost the match."

"Consider this a free lesson then. Save up your money and beg your mom and dad to take you to the Indigo Plateau this year. You'll see me there."

The boy put his money back in his pocket and said, "Ok, mister. What's your name, so I can look for you?"

"Jason Patton."

"Ok mister Patton. I'll be sure to look for your name."

As Jason watched the little boy run elsewhere, a profound grunt sounded behind him. Jason turned around to see a male Charizard, a behemoth Fire-Type with wings on his back, a long neck, a muscular build and a long tail with a live flame at its tip. The Charizard looked at Jason with his arms folded and one of his scarred eyebrow raised.

"What are you looking at, Char," said Jason with a smile. "I'd end up feeling like I robbed the poor kid if I took his money. It's not like we need any cash right now, anyway."

Char smirked and rolled his reptilian eyes. Jason shook his head and approached his victorious feline-like Pokemon.

"Nice work, Espeon. Let's get you some rest for now."

Espeon, who was once a feeble Eevee, purred at Jason and snuggled her head against his leg as her trainer reached for a Pokeball from the back of his old utility belt. Jason scratched at the back of Espeon's ears a little before recalling her into her Pokeball. He then turned towards his giant companion and twitched his head to the right.

"Let's head for the Cinnabar harbor, Char. We made the delivery to Blaine, and I think it's about time we paid a visit to Sam in Pallet."

As the two began walking, Jason caught a glimpse of a rock formation with white familiar letters nailed on it. He halted his steps and took a look at the sigh that read 'LOUIE VILLE GROVES'. Beyond the sign was a neighborhood of small houses, most of which had poorly maintained lawns and exterior siding. Jason knew this neighborhood all too well, but he had to take a closer look.

"Char, why don't you stretch out your wings for a little bit. I gotta go check something out."

Without another word said, Jason ventured into the neighborhood. Char watched Jason walk away for a moment before he ran elsewhere and flapped his large wings, lifting himself higher into the air with each flap.

It had been four years since Jason lost the top section of his left middle finger to Giovanni. Since then, he had been training hard with his Pokemon as he journeyed through three regions; Kanto, Johto and Hoenn. As he traveled, his Pokemon companions had grown into powerful fighters. Shocker had reached the peak of his electric abilities and was a surprisingly powerful striker. Before Jason received his eighth badge, he gave Shocker a Thunder stone and let him choose whether or not he wanted to use it. That day, Shocker made his choice by exposing his skin to the radiation of the evolution stone and evolved into an incredibly powerful Raichu.

Powerhouse had undergone two evolutions with the ending result of becoming a Machamp, a grey skinned, four-armed Fighting-Type. Powerhouse was Jason's second best close range fighter under the still undefeated Char. Espeon was named by Jason as a new species of Pokemon, for she was an evolved form of Eevee that didn't require the radiation of an evolution stone. She became the powerful Psychic-Type the morning after she won her first Gym battle in Johto.

Jason's fifth and final addition to his roster was a rare sea creature known as Lapras. She had a smooth, sky blue hide and a large crustacean shell on her back. She was used primarily as Jason's trusty sea traveling companion, but she was nonetheless deadly in combat with powerful Water-Type, Ice-Type, and even Gras-Type abilities. Jason found her trapped in an abandoned oil rig on an island somewhere in the seas of Johto. When she was freed from the metal entrapment, she followed Jason and Char until the trainer finally decided to let her come with him.

Jason gazed upon a certain house that he once knew. Being that the night hours were drawing near, he could see lights from inside the windows and the people that lived there. The house was small and made of mostly brick. The lawn was mowed and well maintained, rose bushes grew near the entrance of the house, and a minivan was parked in front of the garage.

Jason took off his sunglasses and looked through the glass window. He could hear the muffled sounds of children's laughter as well as playful incoherent dialogue from a woman. He caught sight of the woman. Her long blonde hair was curled and highlighted and she wore a red house dress. She was chasing a small child, apparently playing some sort of game with him.

Suddenly, she saw someone on the street in front of her house. Jason kept his sights on her as she made eye contact with the mysterious stranger. What started out as a frown of curiosity slowly turned into a surprised yet sorrowful expression as the woman realized who was standing there. She slid the window open and tried to find the right words to say to Jason, but nothing came out.

Jason turned to his left and lifted his head upwards as he put his index finger and thumb under his tongue. He blew through his finger and thumb hard, releasing a loud high-pitched whistle into the air that could be heard from a great distance. Moments later, Char landed on his feet next to Jason. Char lifted Jason up to his back and looked around the many houses as Jason's eyes still burned into the woman's. Finally, Jason patted Char's shoulder and held on to the Fire-Type as he flapped his wings quickly.

The woman watched as Jason and Char took to the skies. She regretted not saying something or going outside to hug him tightly, for she knew in her heart that that may be the last time she would see her son.

"Who was that, mommy," asked the little four-year old boy.

The woman's head slowly turned and faced the boy. She wiped away a tear that fell from her eye and gave out a weak smile to her youngest son.

"Someone I once knew," was all she could say.

* * *

Professor Oak sat in a wicker rocking chair on his front porch reading a thick book. It was late afternoon on a summer's day, so his attire consisted of tan shorts, a white polo shirt and brown sandals. As Oak continued to read his science book, he felt a gust of wind hit him. The wind current was strong enough to get his attention as the pages of the book began to turn frantically. Soon after he closed the book and set it down next to his chair, he heard a thunderous roar in the distance. He stood up from his seat to see what was causing the animal sounds.

Suddenly, Char landed on his feet in front of Oak's porch with Jason sitting on his back. The tall Charizard leaned his body forward so that Jason could step down. Oak smiled as Jason and Char approached the porch's small stairway.

"Quite an entrance I must say," said Oak.

Jason shook Oak's hand and said, "It's good to see you again up close, Sam. You doing any good for yourself?"

"Oh, I've been rather busy. Many of my business associates are anxious to begin marketing on the Pokedex."

Jason retrieved his old Pokedex from his utility belt and handed it to Oak. "Well, with over four hundred entries, they should be pleased."

Oak let out a proud smile. "Jason, I can't tell you enough how amazed I am with your efforts. Won't you come in? I have some tea ready for you."

"Sure thing. I could use a drink."

Oak opened the door to his house and entered after Jason and Char. While Oak walked towards the kitchen, Jason took a seat on the leather sofa in the living room. Char stood next to the fireplace with his arms folded and his heavy tail resting inside the fireplace. Soon after, Oak walked towards Jason with two small mugs full of his green tea and handed Jason one of the mugs. Jason accepted the mug and took a sip of the hot liquid. Oak took a seat in the recliner next to the sofa and began sipping his drink.

"I understand you intend to compete in the Indigo Plateau tournament," said Oak.

"I've already put my name in the tournament roster. It's only a few weeks away and we've been training like crazy."

"The Indigo Plateau has been around for decades. It is the single most challenging Pokemon League in the world, and with good reason. I take it you know what to expect as far as progression?"

"Yeah, I do. Twenty-four competitors face off in the tournament and the winner is offered a chance to challenge the Elite Four. What I don't understand is why most of the trainers refuse to make the challenge."

"Most trainers neglect the additional challenge because if they lose to any of the members then their tournament title is stripped from them. No one has ever beat all the members of the Elite Four. Only two people have made it to the final challenge of the Elite's headmaster, Lance Siegfried, and neither of them were able to defeat him."

Jason frowned and asked, "Well why not? I mean what's so special about this guy?"

"As of this year he has fifteen years of experience. He uses Dragon-Type Pokemon in battle, a Pokemon Type that very few have been able to catch, let alone train. They are exceedingly powerful and incredibly difficult to defeat, wild and domestic."

"I ran into a few Dragon trainers before. They're pretty tough, unless you know how to handle them."

"Make no mistake, Jason. If you do, by some odd chance, make your way to Lance, you will definitely have your hands full. You see, Lance learned from his father, Arthur Siegfried. In the early days of the League, the Indigo Plateau was just another regional tournament. One day, however, Arthur won the attention of thousands by putting other trainers to shame with his superior methods of training.

"The League officials enlisted him and three other strong trainers to take their place as League Champions, and thus was born the Elite Four. When Arthur retired, the throne was passed to his son, Lance. As I said before, no one has ever defeated Lance in battle. He, along with his three companions, is a rock solid Pokemon Master who dedicates his life to his Pokemon and the Indigo Plateau. He has more than earned his spot as Elite headmaster, and he holds back for no one."

Jason smirked at Oak. "So you're saying that if I beat him, I become the first trainer to strip the Elite Four of their championship title. I could make history."

"Yes, but that is highly unlikely, despite your methods of training. I have watched you grow into a very strong trainer, Jason. I have no doubt that you will open the eyes of all who come to watch the tournament, but the possibility of you beating the Elite Four is quite farfetched."

"I guess we'll see when I compete, won't we?"

Oak couldn't help but smile at Jason's boldness. "I suppose. There is something I want you to do for me before you compete, Jason."

"Name it."

"There have been recent reports of unexplainable ice storms in the Seafoam Islands. Being that these islands are small and in the tropics, myself and others have concluded that these are unnatural storms being produced by some sort of powerful Ice-Type Pokemon. Have you ever heard of the Legend of Articuno?"

Jason frowned. "Uh, I think so. Isn't that supposed to be a giant bird of myth?"

"Normally I would say yes, but these photos I received lead me to believe otherwise."

Oak reached for a large file on the end table next to his recliner and pulled out five photographs. He handed them to Jason as Char approached his trainer to see the pictures. The photos were without color and unfocused. Though they were hard to make out, Jason could see what looked like a large bird of some kind flying over a peak rock formation.

"Sam," began Jason as he handed the photos back to Oak. "This could be anything. It could just be a blurry Pidgeotto flying over some guy's oriental garden, or better yet, it could just be a Pokemon doll on strings."

"You might be right, Jason, but if it is what I think it is we would be able to prove that Articuno exists. I am asking that you go to the Seafoam Islands and determine what is causing these ice storms. If Articuno is there, then I want you to collect data on it with the Pokedex."

Jason stood up from the sofa. "Sam, you're dreaming! You've got impatient investors riding your ass about the Pokedex, and I've got a tournament to compete in that's less than a month away. This is a wild goose chase and you know it!"

"I will double the number of shares you have invested in the Pokedex if you do this for me. That's five hundred shares that I will give to you if you do me this one favor."

Jason turned his head away. "Jesus Christ. You're reaching, Sam."

"Please, Jason. You know I would go myself if I could. You are the only man I trust to do this. Please, Jason, do this for me."

Jason rubbed his forehead with his fingers. This was something he didn't want to deal with. He had a tournament to think about. He needed time to train his Pokemon, and this detour would keep him from doing that. Even if the mysterious bird did exist, it would still take away from training time. He needed to be sharp for the tournament, and time was not something he could afford to lose.

On the other hand, Oak was the man who got him started in this business. He was the man who gave him a new life to live when there wasn't one. Sure, Jason had more than paid his dues making many sacrifices including a segment of his middle finger. But without Oak, Jason would not be where he was that day. Oak had given him something that made all those hardships worth the while: a fresh start. To dismiss this favor all together would be the equivalent of slapping Oak in the face.

Oak placed his hand on Jason shoulder and said, "I will understand if you don't want to go. You do have a tournament to think about, after all."

Jason starred into Oak's eyes for a moment before turning away. His eyes met with Char's as he thought about what he would do. Char's eyes portrayed to Jason an expression of excitement. Jason knew that Char could go for another adventure, and he had a feeling that his other Pokemon companions would think the same way considering what they have all been through together.

His decision made, Jason sighed out of frustration as he nodded at his mighty Pokemon companion.

* * *

The twin islands of Seafoam, two islands that rested south of Vermilion City and east of Cinnabar Island. On the beaches of the eastern island, very few natives walked along the white sands gazing upon the far horizon below the dark grey clouds above. Among them was a tall, dark skinned man with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He carried an orange surf board in his left arm and his faithful Pikachu stood by his feet as their sights rested on the waves. The man only wore white swim trunks and a necklace with a small carnivore tooth.

Suddenly the cheeks of the Pikachu sparked as the little rodent caught sight of a distant flyer to the southwest. The surfer noticed the far away flyer and dug the tip of his surf board into the sands as he waited for the airborne visitor to arrive. After a few minute of waiting, the flyer came close enough above the waters for the surfer to identify it as an approaching Charizard with a man riding on its back. Upon realizing what flew closer and closer, the man waved his arm at the airborne Fire-Type, for he knew that the man that rode atop the Charizard was Jason Patton.

Char landed a few feet away from the surfer and leaned forward, allowing Jason to set foot on the white sands of the eastern Seafoam Island. The surfer and his Pikachu walked towards the visitors as Jason lit up a cigarette with his old Zippo lighter. Jason took notice to the dozens of hotel complexes near the beach in front of him. In the far distant skies he noticed a few tall sky scrapers below the grey storm clouds.

"You must be the trainer Professor Oak sent to investigate," said the surfer as he stuck out his hand towards Jason.

"Jason Patton," responded Jason as he shook the surfer's hand. "I take it that you're Victor, the famous surfer of these islands?"

Victor nodded with a slight smirk. "That was a long time ago, but yes that is who I am. This is my surfing companion, Pooka."

Jason waved his fingers at the small mouse Pokemon. "Alright then, fill me in. Any solid leads on what's causing the ice storms in the westward island?"

"Unfortunately no. We tried using our helicopters to get in close to the storms but the ice was falling in such a way that the helicopters literally began to freeze up, causing its systems to go haywire. Luckily they were able to get out of there before any serious damage was done, but we were unable to get close enough to determine what was causing these storms."

"I'll have a better chance of getting close. Char here can keep his skin warm for long periods of time and keep me warm as well."

"I suppose that is your only option, but it would be safe if you bundle up. Before you go I'll take you to a store that sells heavy coats and jackets so you'll be more prepared to venture the caves. I've been inside those caves before, and it gets pretty cramped."

"Wonderful," Jason responded with annoyance in his tone. "Let's check out that coat store you were talking about."

* * *

Jason kept his head low as Char flew above the seas towards the westward isle. He wore a dark brown, heavy leather coat and a pair of thick black gloves that covered his fingers rather than his usual 'hell raiser' style gloves. The rocky peak of the island was covered with revolving clouds moving at high speeds and dispensing ice cold precipitation. The exterior of the high caves were covered in snow and there were no signs of wildlife on the white sands. As the two flew closer towards the distant island, Jason could feel the temperature drop lower and lower.

"Alright, Char," shouted Jason as he wrapped his arms around Char's neck and pressed his chest on the flier's back. "Start warming up your skin. Victor said for us to enter the caves on the east side. When you drop me off, I want you to rest in a Pokeball and be ready to fly us out of here quick."

Char turned his head and nodded to his trainer as his altitude rose. Within seconds Char and Jason could feel the ice cold wind gusts and the snow that fell from the circling clouds above. The cold air was enough for Jason to feel as if knives were pricking at his back until the flame on Char's tail grew much larger in overall girth. Char's heated hide kept Jason protected from the cold temperatures and melted the snow before touching either of them.

The eastern cave entrance was approximately two-hundred feet above ground level. The entrance was narrow with the surface covered in snow. Bright lights of different colors could be seen from inside the cave, an advantage that would help Jason a great deal once he was inside.

Once Char was within a few yards of the cave entrance he halted his flight and turned his body to the right, allowing Jason to jump towards the cave. As his feet landed safely on the high, snow-covered rocky surface, Jason grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and pointed it at Char. The ball's energy beam hit Char's chest and quickly spread throughout his entire body until the beam pulled Char into the Pokeball. Once Char was inside, Jason zipped up his leather coat and went inside the illuminated caves.

To Jason's surprise, the cave's temperature was a comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The light inside the caves allowed Jason to see a small pathway in front of him. The rocky walls of the pathway was covered with shining crystals of different shapes, sizes and even colors. The crystals hung on the walls and ceiling in small bunches of five or six. This natural placement of crystals reflected light from outside in a way the lit up the entirety of the pathway.

As Jason ventured through the cave, he quickly realized what Victor had said about the cramped space. The crystals, beautiful as they were, provided Jason with a disadvantage as their sharp edges kept Jason's pace slow. He crawled through most of pathway, avoiding the sharp edges of the illuminated crystals as much as he could. Jason was not able to completely avoid the sharp obstacles as he suffered a few scratches along the way. They were more of an annoyance than anything for him, for Jason had many scars from his journeys. Such pain was something Jason had gotten used to feeling.

After a good ten minutes of navigating the cramped space, the cave's temperature began to slowly drop. He could hear the echoing calls of wild Pokemon in the distance. Most of them were familiar calls from Water-Types such as the high-pitched barks of Seel and Dewgong or the quacks of Psyduck and Golduck. Water could be heard flowing from a waterfall with these Pokemon calls, giving Jason the indication that this island was a haven for Water-Types.

The cold soon became near unbearable for Jason, forcing him to wrap his arms around his body tightly. Luckily for him, the pathway became larger in overall size and Jason no longer needed to maneuver through the bright colored obstacles. His breath trembled as his hands and legs began to shake. Soon enough frost began to lightly cover his hair, and he started to stagger in his steps as he pressed on through the freezing caves. He couldn't bring himself to think about what he was looking for, he only knew the cold. Though the caves were larger in size, they were still too small for Jason to release Char from his Pokeball. He had to tough it out as best he could.

Just when Jason was about to pass out from the cold, the temperature rose once more as he made his way into a large domain of the caves. To his left he could see steam rising from a large pond. Desperately in need of heat, Jason stumbled his way towards the pond and fell on his stomach with his head inches away from the waters. A few Golducks and Seels swam in the waters and payed little attention to poor Jason as his hands touched the hot liquid in front of him. Jason soon realized that the pond was in fact a hot spring.

Disregarding the fact that the spring was in a high altitude area of the island, something that should not be there to begin with, Jason quickly took off his coat, gloves, over shirt and utility belt and crawled into the hot spring. The liquid gave Jason a great sense of relief as he submerged himself underwater, allowing the spring to heat up his body. As Jason raised his head above the water, one of the Golducks swam towards him and eyed Jason with utter curiosity. Jason smiled as the Golduck quacked and swam circles around him.

Jason took a moment to study his surroundings as he swam towards his belongings. The domain was massive, nearly twice the size of a football stadium and covered in ice. Sky blue light shined from the ground and reflected off of the sparkling ice. It was as if the stars of the night shined in the day. Such outstanding beauty didn't seem possible to Jason.

Suddenly, the Golduck swam towards another end of the hot spring and leaped onto a large rock above the waters. The other Water-Types soon followed the graceful swimmer and kept close to each other. Jason frowned at their sudden movement and proceeded to follow them until he heard the footsteps of a gargantuan creature on the north end of the icy domain. Jason swam towards his clothes and searched for the mysterious behemoth. At last, Jason had found what he had been sent to locate.

Elegantly walking towards the hot spring was a fifteen foot tall bird Pokemon. The Persian blue and ivory white feathers of the bird were long, smooth and bushy. It's grey beak was short and curved and matched the color of its long and slender legs. The talons on the beast's hind legs were similar to its beak and its eyes were maroon red. The head feathers were bunched up into three uprising sections, much like a head crest, while the creature's tail was long, slender and flowed gracefully.

Jason froze as the majestic bird walked towards the spring, lightly bobbing its head with each step forward. The bird bent its head down and drank from the hot spring as the other Water-Types watched cautiously. Suddenly, the bird noticed Jason's treading and brought its head closer to him. At that point Jason's mind practically shut down as the creature poured and sniffed him. Seeing Jason as a harmless animal of some sort, the bird took another drink from the spring and walked away. Jason smiled and chuckled to himself as the bird sat down and rested itself in the middle of the domain.

"I'll be damned," whispered Jason. "The old man was right. It does exist."

Jason grabbed his utility belt and pulled out his Pokedex. He activated the device's scanning systems and pointed it at the distant creature. Once the device finished its scanning cycle, Jason switched on the microphone and whispered into it.

"Articuno. The Mystic Bird Pokemon. Thought to have only existed in myth, it is a giant of a flyer with a wingspan of about seventy-five feet. It prefers cold climates but has the ability to change its environment's temperature to suit its needs. It is incredibly rare and should be classified as one of the living legends of bird Pokemon along with Zapdos, Moltres and Ho-Oh.

Jason switched off the Pokedex and put it aside as he stripped off the remainder of his clothes. Knowing that the trip back would be more of a challenge, he ringed out his clothes as best as he could to try to dry them out. Though his clothes were still very damp after he was done ringing them out, he put them on along with his utility belt and slowly started to walk out the way he came.

To Jason's misfortune, he accidentally tripped over the hard shell of a small Shellder. Jason stumbled and fell on his knees as the young crustacean, to add to Jason's bad luck, hopped about frantically and gave out a high-pitched cry of distress. As Jason stood up on his feet, the other Water-Type Pokemon near the hot spring began to cry out their own distress calls. Suddenly, Articuno opened its wings and shrieked at Jason as it stood up.

"Shit," shouted Jason as he quickly reached for one of his Pokeballs. Jason released Shocker from his Pokeball and dropped to one knee as he covered his eyes with his arms. "Flash it, Shocker! NOW!"

The energetic Raichu charged his cheeks with electricity and launched a blinding flash of light that illuminated the entire domain. Articuno shrieked and thrashed as it tried to regain its eyesight. Jason returned Shocker into his Pokeball and ran as fast as he could through the pathway. As he ran the cold temperatures of the caves made its presence known, but with the distant calls of Articuno behind him he knew that he had to get out of there quickly.

As the caves shrank in size, Jason crawled and crawled as fast as his arms and knees could muster, ignoring the sharp edges of the crystals that cut his skin and clothes. Jason realized that the coldness of the caves began to spread and would not leave him the farther he ventured. Something was wrong. He remembered the cramped space to be much warmer than this. To add to his worries, the caves began to glow a bright blue color. He looked behind him as he crawled to see the same light grow brighter. He had seen light like this before and he knew that Articuno was the cause, for it was the beginning stage of the Blizzard attack.

Jason dragged his hands and knees through the narrow pathway, suffering numerous gashes from the sharp obstacles. As he crawled, he could see small flakes of snow blowing in the direction he was going. Luckily, the entrance was in his sights and not very far. Unfortunately, so was the attack. With enough room to stand, Jason ran towards the entrance without looking back. His adrenalin was so high that he didn't even realize that he was bleeding severely from the many gashes on his back, arms and legs.

With fresh air only a few feet away, Jason grabbed onto the walls of the entrance and swung himself around to the exterior of the caves and climbed to the side away from the entrance. Seconds after he escaped the pathway a fast stream of light and blasted its way out of the entrance, freezing the rocky surface around it. Jason kept his body close and his grip firm as the Blizzard blast continued to launch out of the entrance.

A few moments later, the beam of ice and light came to a sudden halt. Jason regained his senses and grabbed Char's rarely used Pokeball. He released him on a nearby cliff above him and called for him to get his attention.

"Char," shouted Jason. "Pick me up and get us out of here! I think I pissed off the wrong bird!"

Char immediately took flight and flew towards Jason. The flying Fire-Type stretched his arm towards Jason and grabbed his hand. He then swung him onto his back and flew to the east with haste. With Char's scales already heated, Jason clung himself to Char's back and took this moment to catch his breath as Char flew farther away from the westward island of Seafoam.

Though the island was already far away from Jason and Char, this moment of much needed rest did not last long as a massive blast tore apart the peak of the island behind them. Jason turned around to see huge chunks of rock fly high in the air through the storm clouds above. Seconds later, Articuno flew above the shattered remains of the island's peak and opened its wings wide, releasing blue light and large flakes of snow as it shrieked its bird calls.

"Damn it," cursed Jason. "Char, head south so this thing doesn't follow us to the eastern island. I think its spotted us!"

Char made a quick right turn while Jason kept his sights on the distant bird of legend. Articuno was already flying towards them with great speed with the grey storm clouds following it close by. It was as if Hell itself had frozen over and took the form of a majestic creature.

Once Articuno was nearly thirty feet away it began to charge energy into its mouth as it breathed in. Jason had a feeling what was coming next and pressed his hand on Char's left shoulder. Char took quick notice to Jason's signal and made a hard left turn as Articuno unleashed an Ice Beam from its mouth. Char barely dodged the beam and flew higher into the sky while Articuno followed closely behind.

"Turn around and nail it with a fireball," shouted Jason. "We gotta get this thing to back off!"

Char made a quick spin and launched a large fireball before turning around again. The fireball hit Articuno's chest and forced it to drop a few dozen feet before it regain its composure and continued its pursuit. Articuno picked up speed and gained on Char seconds after it recovered. Knowing that they couldn't keep this up for long, Jason tried for a different approach.

"It's not gonna quit on us, Char! Distract it with your Embers and turn around and fly into the clouds! We can use them against this thing!"

Char waved his tail back and forth with haste, releasing dozens of small embers from his tail. The embers hit Articuno's face and forced the mystic bird to slow its flying pace. Char then made a sharp turn towards Articuno and flew past it into the storm clouds behind it. As Char and Jason disappeared into the storm, Articuno turned around and flew towards the dim light within the fog of the clouds. Soon after it was inside, however, Articuno lost sight of Char's flaming tail and searched in all directions for it.

Jason kept his grip on Char's back firm as the interior of the storm began to freeze his body. Char's heated hide provided Jason with enough warmth to withstand the fog, but the cold was still ever present. Due to Char's extraordinary vision, he was able to keep Articuno in his sights as he kept himself mobile.

Articuno began to unleash wild Ice Beams in random directions in an attempt to find Char, but the beams hit nothing but fog. Suddenly, Articuno suffered a charging fist from its left. The impact of the fist was minor, but it was enough to make the ice bird flinch long enough to lose sight of Char once more. Articuno continued to launch Ice Beams at random but was still unable to find the flying menace. Another fist collided with Articuno's beak. This time, however, Articuno was able to keep track of Char's movements and released a well placed Ice Beam that hit Char's right wing. Char roared at the pain in his wing as he fell towards the underbelly of the storm.

Once the clouds were finally above them, Jason pulled on Char's shoulders to get his attention. Char's eyes opened to see the ocean below him and pulled up before hitting the water. As Char skimmed the waves of the sea, Articuno materialized out of the clouds and dove for Char. Jason signaled to Char to make a right turn and the two dodged Articuno, forcing the mystic bird to slow its pace and pull up.

As Articuno and Char's altitude began to rise once more, Char continued to dodge the many Ice Beams of Articuno with Jason's help. Once they were roughly fifty feet from sea level, Char made a daring move by turning around and taking a deep breath as Articuno charged Char head on.

"What are you doing, Char," shouted Jason. "It's coming for us!"

Without another moment's hesitation, Char unleashed a deadly stream of fire towards the approaching bird. Articuno halted its pursuit and launched an ice beam in the path of Char's Flamethrower attack. The two streams hit and battled to pass through with neither gaining the upper hand. Jason watched as the two streams of energy pressed against each other and hoped that Char's Fire-Type attack could overpower Articuno's Ice Beam.

Suddenly, the Ice Beam grew in size and began to overpower Char's Flamethrower attack. The beam of ice drove the stream of fire away from Articuno and got closer to Char and Jason. The power of Articuno was beginning to be too much for Char to handle as the flame on his tail grew shorter by each passing second. At this pace, the Ice Beam would reach Char and Jason in a matter of seconds.

Just as Jason was about to give Char the command to back down, Char's Flamethrower slowly pressed forward towards Articuno. To Jason's surprise, the flame on Char's tail had completely disappeared and his scaly hide quickly rose in temperature. Jason's skin began to burn as Char's body began to glow a bright white color. Jason had no choice but to jump from Char's back, despite how far the sea was to him.

As Jason fell, he quickly stripped off his utility belt and grabbed one of his Pokeballs. He then unleashed his sea traveling companion, Lapras, with the ball pointed downward. Luckily for Jason, the energy beam shot out far enough to reach sea level, allowing Lapras to be released safely above the water.

Knowing that the Pokedex must remain undamaged, he threw his belt towards his watery companion as he shouted, "Lapras, catch!"

The sea traveling Pokemon caught sight of the falling utility belt and swam underneath it. As Lapras positioned herself to catch the belt, Jason stretched out his hands above him as he fell head first towards the waves. He kept his head low and his eyes squinted shut as he prepared himself to hit the water.

Lapras caught the belt in her mouth right before Jason finally hit the water. Jason's fifty foot fall into the sea was enough to knock him out from the impact of his fall. As Lapras swam elegantly and swiftly to the spot where Jason had landed, she placed the belt on her back and dipped her head into the water to grab an unconscious Jason.

Articuno put everything into its Ice Beam as Char's Flamethrower came closer and closer to it. As the Flamethrower grew in strength, its color changed from a bright orange to a dark blue. By that time, Char's body was completely covered in the white light. Char's body began to change in shape and even size. As Char's transformation continued, the blue stream of fire finally reach Articuno and collided with the mystic bird with such force that it flew several yards backwards until it regained its senses and flew elsewhere, refusing to do battle with its opponent.

As Lapras swam towards the westward isle of Seafoam, Jason groaned as his eyes slowly opened. His eyesight was blurry and his body ached. Above him was a distant figure in the sky with what looked to be wings flying towards him. His blurry eyesight prohibited him from being able to make out the distant figure. Time itself seemed to slow down as his eyesight darkened. All sound was lost and the pain disappeared. His eyes finally closed once more, leaving him in darkness as he lost consciousness…

* * *

Jason felt the cold droplets of rain hit his body as he slowly opened his eyes. His back was upright and placed against a smooth surface that moved subtly. His legs were outstretched and rested on damp sand. Though it was lightly raining, the clouds failed to cover the entire sky and allowed the sun to shine upon the land.

Jason placed his hand on his head as he slowly stood up. The aching in his head kept his eyes closed tightly as he turned around to feel the soft surface he leaned against. He opened his eyes to see a very worried Lapras gazing upon him with his utility belt in her mouth. She purred at Jason and nudged his shoulder, hoping that her trainer was alright. Jason reassured her by petting the back of her left ear.

"You did good today, Lapras," said Jason.

Lapras responded by using her chin to pull Jason towards her. Jason wrapped his arms around her neck and chuckled at her affection. The purring of Lapras soothed Jason's senses and even his headache. Jason eventually let go of their embrace and looked into the eyes of his sea traveling companion. Lapras broke their gaze by nodding her head to her left, signaling to Jason to take a look.

What Jason saw was, at first, beyond his comprehension. He saw a brute of a creature with a physique similar to that of his strongest companion, Char. The creature stood tall at eight feet in height with its back turned at Jason. It's hide was a dark shade of brown blended with streaks of green, rather than a light shade of orange. The wings were folded into three sections, allowing the viewer to believe that they were simply long outgrowths rather than wings. At the beast's peak was a head crest that covered a small portion of its long neck, a head crest that consisted of four curved horns, two behind the eyes and two below the jaws. What spiked Jason's interests more so than the creatures physique was the tip of the tail, for no live flame existed.

The creature stood there with its palms opened, letting the rain drops fall upon its exposed skin. Jason slowly approached the creature with his Pokedex in hand and activated the device's scanning system. After the Pokedex ran a cycle, the information read as follows:

_New Entry_

_Species: Unknown_

_Type: Dragon/ Flying_

_Height: 8'4"_

_Weight: 652 lbs_

_Habitat: Unknown_

Jason starred in disbelief at the mysterious dragon as it turned around slowly to face him. The creature gazed upon Jason with its solid blue eyes. There was something very familiar about the beast to Jason, something that reminded him of someone he knew all too well. He needed to be sure if his speculation was correct.

"Char," asked Jason, hoping beyond hope that this creature was his best friend and most powerful companion.

For a moment, the dragon did not respond. It simply starred at Jason and tilted its head to the side slightly. As Jason began to lose hope, the dragon smirked and blew a ring of smoke out of its mouth. Jason smiled brightly and laughed with excitement, knowing that the creature standing before him was indeed Char. It was then that Char had reached the peak of his skills, evolving from a powerful Fire-Type into a mighty Dragon.

Jason walked towards Char with a wide smile. "Alright, tough guy. Let's see what you're made of. You ready to compete in a professional Pokemon League?"

Char smirked and pounded his right fist onto his left hand. He then bent down towards Jason as his trainer returned Lapras into her Pokeball. Jason climbed on Char's back and held on as the mighty dragon spread his wings and ran towards the ocean. The two took flight and headed north for the event that would test their four years of experience to the limit.

* * *

_Well there you have it! Surprised? I made Char from a Fire-Type into a Dragon-Type! What are the odds? hahahhahaha!_

_Some of you might have noticed the cameo I put into this chapter. It was the surfer Victor and his Pikachu from the animated series. That was a last minute decision I made and I'm happy with it. If I am to make this fic a tribute to both the game and the series, we might as well put some cameos in there! I'll go into detail about Lance's name in the author's notes at the end of this story, don't worry._

_The next chapter deals with, you guessed it, the Pokemon League of Kanto! I intend to make at least three long chapters for the League, the first chapter dealing with the tournament itself. As for the other two, well you'll simply have to read it yourself. Things are about to get very exciting!_

_See ya next chapter!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Guess who's back, baby! First off, I want to say that I am SO SORRY for such a long wait! From a serious writer's block to a computer crash that errased most of my stuff (including all of my stories) to a new job that took up much of my time, I've had a lot of shit on my plate. The good news is I'm back and recharged. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer, nor did I want anyone to think that I flaked out on this tory. I said I was going to finish this series and I ment it._

_Anyways, this chapter consists of Jason's first two battle in the Indigo Plateau tournament. It gives all of Jason's Pokemon a chance to fight at least once and I think you'll find that I gave his Pokemon some prett unbelievable moves. I went all out on this one, and the great thing is this is only the beginning of the tournament! So I hope you enjoy!_

_Oh and by the way... IT'S SHOWTIME FOLKS!!!_

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Indigo Plateau: The Preliminary Rounds**

In the center of the Indigo Plateau Village stood the behemoth stadium of the Indigo Plateau League. The coliseum structure reached five hundred feet in diameter and two hundred feet in height. The arena was composed of a grassy field and two high level platforms for the trainers to stand while their Pokemon battle on the field. Above the customer seats were the stadium's many indoor press rooms, League Officials' observatories, radio and television commentator's boxes, and VIP rooms. At the peak of the north and south walls of the stadium were the fifty foot long plasma screen score boards.

With the beginning ceremonies only hours away, hundreds upon hundreds of customers had already flooded the stadium's entrances and seats. Giant speakers hung from the score boards played loud music of several genres. Helicopters and giant blimps with sponsored tags and logos flew above the gargantuan stadium as more and more seats began to fill up with eager spectators.

The Indigo Plateau League Tournament was the most anticipated Pokemon competition of the year. People of all the regions would travel to the plateau village west of Viridian City to witness the excitement. Tickets were purchased as early as six months in advance and there was never an empty seat.

Meanwhile in the locker room halls below the thousands of seats, twenty-four men and women waited in a single-file line near the open-door entrance to the arena. All were trainers that won no less than eight Gym badges and were between the ages of sixteen to thirty. Standing in the middle section of the line of trainers was Jason Patton. He wore his usual attire consisting of a black, unbuttoned dress shirt over a dark grey wife beater, dark blue jeans, brown work boots, black 'hell-raiser' style gloves, and his black sunglasses. He stood with his back against the concrete wall as he, along with the rest of the trainers, waited to be called out for the beginning ceremonies.

With the beginning ceremonies about to begin, the League's head chairman, a short elderly man by the name of Charles Goodshow, walked towards the center of the arena followed by two business suit wearing officials. The audience cheered for the head chairman as he pulled out a wireless microphone from his leather jacket and addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," spoke Goodshow through the microphone, his voice towering over the cheering of the crowd. "It is my most sincere honor to welcome you all to the fiftieth anniversary of the Indigo Plateau League Tournament!"

The roar of the crowd grew louder as the head chairman finished his statement.

"For fifty years, this tournament has maintained its reputation as the greatest Pokemon League in all the regions. I have watched this organization grow from the day it was born and I am proud to have been a part of its continued success. There has never been a dull moment in this arena, and this year will be no exception. Our tournament roster consists of twenty-four brave and skilled trainers from around the world, both new and veterans to this arena, and I would like to take this time to call out the combatants."

All twenty-four trainers walked out of the arena entrance as the crowd cheered for them. As they walked towards the center of the arena, Jason studied the massive crowd of people cheering for him and the other twenty-three trainers. This was Jason's first tournament to compete in. There were times in his career when he would do battle against another trainer in front of a large group of people, but nothing compared to the stadium.

Goodshow gazed upon the twenty competitors and smirked at them as he spoke into the microphone. "Trainers, you are competing in the most prestigious professional Pokemon League in the world. You are the reason this organization has undergone five decades of success, and I am proud to appoint you as competitors of this League. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the twenty-four competitors of the Indigo Plateau Tournament!"

A majority of the trainers raised their fists at the cheering audience. Jason smirked to himself with pride as he let the sounds of the crowd overpower his ears. For him, this was his chance to do what he had set out to do since the beginning of his journeys. This was his chance to make something of himself after nearly half of a life time of doubt and misfortune. Jason took a deep breath and soaked up the moment as the crowd continued to cheer for the trainers.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," began Goodshow as he turned his gaze to the westward peak of the stadium. "It is finally time to introduce the Grand Champions of the Indigo Plateau, the Elite Four, as they set fire to the symbol of the Indigo Plateau's events, the Torch of Moltres."

As the crowd directed their attention to the highest point of the westward walls of the stadium, four figures carrying a lit torch approached a metal sculpture with long, spiral wrapped flags running down it from the top. It's peak consisted of a large black cauldron big enough to hold a resting Gyarados. The four figures climbing up the step ladders that lead to the cauldron were the reigning champions of the Indigo Plateau, the Elite Four.

The Elite Four consisted of two men and two women. The first of the women was Lorelei Kanna, the Elite's Ice-Type master. She wore her bright red hair in a ponytail, thin glasses over her brown eyes, and a purple dress that illustrated her curvaceous figure. Bruno Grant, the Elite's Fighting-Type master, wore a worn out martial arts Gi with the sleeves ripped out, exposing his behemoth arms, and a thick black belt tied at his waist. His long black hair was also worn in a ponytail and his side burns were large and bushy. Agatha Vasquez was the Elite's Ghost-Type master, but she also specialized in Poison-Type Pokemon and the newly discovered Dark-Type Pokemon. She wore a lavender house dress and carried a walking cane with her. Her bleach-blonde hair was of medium length and was worn down to her sides. The Elite's Headmaster, Lance Siegfried, wore a black and blue bodysuit underneath a large black cape. His red hair was spiked and of medium length, and he wore a golden medallion around his neck.

Once the members of the Elite Four had reached the top of the cauldron, the placed their burning torches over its center until the cauldron emitted a massive flame. The four torches were said to have carried the mystic fire from the feathers of Moltres, a fiery bird of legend. As the four Elite members climbed down their step ladders, fireworks from all sides of the stadium were set off.

"With the Torch of Moltres lit by our Grand Champions, the beginning matches may now commence," said Goodshow. "Let the Indigo Plateau Tournament begin!"

As the crowd's applause grew louder, all but two of the trainers headed back for the locker room halls. The two that remained walked towards their trainer's platform and awaited the order from the League referee to begin the match.

* * *

With twenty-four competitors in the tournament, a rather odd number for a professional league such as this, the roster was divided up into two groups of twelve. Based on years of experience and the number of Gym badges a competitor carried, eight of the combatants would have a different set of rules to abide by until the semifinal round. These competitors would have to use all six Pokemon in these battles, rather than only using three like the others. The competitors that reached the semifinals and the final round would use only three of their Pokemon and the winner was awarded the Tournament Championship Cup and offered a chance to challenge the Elite Four. Jason was originally among the eight 'odd-ball' competitors, but due to the fact that he only had five Pokemon he was placed among the 'normal-group' roster.

Jason's first match up was against a male trainer by the name of Taylor Morris. No more than eighteen years of age, he wore a red hooded sweatshirt and a pair of tan cargo shorts. His black and yellow baseball cap was worn backwards and his shaggy black hair dangled above his eyes and over his ears.

As the two trainers shook hands and headed for their respective posts, two business suit wearing commentators sat down in the commentator box and spoke into their headset microphones to commentate for their respective television channel broadcasting the tournament.

_"Welcome back to the first round of the Indigo Plateau Tournament. I'm Leo Barkley and sitting next to me, as always, is Jeff Rogers. Jeff, can you believe what a first round we've had so far?"_

_"Leo, all I can say is welcome to a new era in the Indigo Plateau. I'll tell ya, I already had high hopes for the fiftieth anniversary because I knew that it would be an event to remember. With seven more matches to go in the first round we have already seen such a fine display of talent in these trainers. But in all honesty, out of the twenty-four trainers competing in this tournament, there are really only two: Five-time tournament champion winner, Norman Green, and bad-boy Kamon Antonio."_

_"You're not kidding about that, Jeff. But I will say that we've got such a large roster of talented trainers and, in my opinion, it's pretty much anybody's game. I suppose we'll just have to see what happens, but whatever does happen, I'm very excited to see who's going to be crowned Tournament Champion."_

_"Couldn't agree with ya more, Leo. As I said before, welcome to a new era in the Indigo Plateau."_

_"Alright, fans. Let's take a look at our next match here. In one corner we have Taylor Morris, a Johto native from New Bark Town who's no stranger to this tournament. This is his third year competing and I'd say that he's done very well for himself. I believe he finished in the top six last year. In the other corner we have newcomer Jason Patton from Kanto's own Cinnabar Island. I have been told that this man has twenty-four Gym badges and is an employee of Professor Samuel Oak. Oak stated that Patton was the man who collected all the data on the now famous Pokedex invention. What are your thoughts on this, Jeff?"_

_"Well that's hard to say, Leo. On one hand we've seen what Morris is capable of. He's a dedicated trainer who has beaten many others, both new and experienced, and he always carries a well rounded Pokemon roster. On the other hand, if Patton is the one responsible for the vast amount of data in the Pokedex then that means he has a very high knowledge of Pokemon and knows what to expect from his opponents. I think this is going to be a very good match."_

_"I'll agree with you on that one, Jeff. Alright, the trainers have just made it to their posts and the match is about to begin. Let's see if knowledge can compete with experience. Here we go!"_

Jason climbed up the ladder of his post and lit up a cigarette before placing an electronic ear piece with a microphone extension into his right ear. He kept his eye on his opponent, Taylor, as both trainers waited for the signal to begin the match. Taylor grabbed a Pokeball from his pocket and held it firm, eager to start the match.

Suddenly, a fog horn sounded from the westward corner of the arena. Without a moment's hesitation, Taylor released his first Pokemon into the arena, the four foot tall Fighting-Type Hitmontop. On the other end of the arena, Jason smirked at Taylor and released Shocker from his Pokeball. The energetic Electric-Type glared into the distant eyes of Hitmontop and dug his tail into the ground, slowly lifting his body upwards with his arms outstretched and flexed.

_"Alright then, let's get this match started,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Morris's Hitmontop against Patton's Raichu."_

_"Quite an odd choice for Patton, Leo. Usually Electric-Types aren't the best choice against Fighting-Types. Either Patton chose the wrong Pokemon or this Raichu has something we don't know about. I'm anxious to see where this leads."_

Hitmontop growled at Shocker and ran towards its opponent, performing various spinning acrobatic leaps along the way. Shocker lowered himself back to his feet and pulled his tail out from the ground. Hitmontop made a high leap into the air and performed a front flip before extending his right leg outward as he fell closer towards Shocker. Right before Hitmontop's kick could collide, Shocker strafed to the right as Hitmontop landed on its feet and jumped straight for Hitmontop with his right fist ready. Hitmontop blocked the descending punch and threw its right leg towards Shocker's face. Shocker bent his body backwards right before the kick could land and threw a left punch at Hitmontop's chin. The punch landed hard enough to knock Hitmontop back, but the agile Fighting-Type recovered from the blow by performing a backhand spring.

Hitmontop wasted no time in attacking again by leaping towards Shocker's left side and performing a butterfly kick. Shocker rolled underneath the flying feet and quickly wrapped his tail around Hitmontop's right ankle as it landed. Shocker then twisted his body to his left and flung the fighter into the air.

(A.N. A butterfly kick is similar to a cartwheel flip, only the body is a bit more horizontal making the feet able to collide with the victim's head or chest.)

The Electric-Type then used his tail to fling himself into the air with such haste that he was able to reach Hitmontop before it began to fall. Shocker landed both feet on Hitmontop's chest, but unfortunately for Shocker, Hitmontop grabbed onto Shocker's feet and flung him towards the ground. Shocker landed safely on his feet, but so did Hitmontop behind him. Shocker turned around to face his opponent but was unable to react in time to a back flip kick to his chin, a blow that knocked him down on his back.

_"Ouch on that one, Jeff,"_ said Leo Barkley.

_"I even felt that one. That was a solid kick."_

Jason pressed the button on the ear piece and spoke into the small microphone. "It's alright, Shocker. You're doing fine. This thing's using those fancy moves cause it doesn't want to get hit. Dodge and duck those moves so you can get inside where it doesn't want you to be and you'll own the fight."

"That rodent can take a hit, Hitmontop," said Taylor into his ear piece. "Keep using those acrobatic moves so it can't see where you're coming from and watch out for that tail. You've gotta wear it down if you want to beat this thing."

Shocker sprang up to his feet and starred into Hitmontop's eyes as the fighter paced forward towards the Electric-Type. Shocker struck first by swinging his tail at the feet of Hitmontop. The fighter performed a cartwheel flip over the tail sweep followed by a front flip kick towards its opponent. Shocker strafed to his left and landed a left hook on Hitmontop's back as it landed, followed by a strong right hook to its face. Once Hitmontop was on its back from the blow, Shocker raised his left foot as high as he could to prepare for an ax kick. Before Shocker could stomp his foot on Hitmontop's gut, the peculiar fighter rolled out of the way and stood on the pointed outgrowth on its head, spinning its body at high speed with its legs and arms outstretched. With Shocker at such close proximity, he was unable to back away from the spinning menace and suffered three kicks to his face. Shocker's airborne body spun around many times until he hit the ground.

Hitmontop halted its spinning and stood to its feet as Shocker quickly got up. The fighter ran towards Shocker and performed a leaping roundhouse kick, of which was dodge as Shocker bent his upper body back. As Hitmontop's feet hit the ground Shocker landed a well placed uppercut on the fighter's chin. Hitmontop attempted to recover and counter with a back flip, but Shocker pressed his hands on the knees of the fighter and shoved them back down, forcing the fighter to land back on its feet facing Shocker. Hitmontop suffered two body punches and a knee to the face, followed by an agonizing head butt and a right hook to the fighter's cheek.

As Hitmontop landed on its back, Shocker used his tail to leap high into the air once more and charged his cheeks with electricity. Hitmontop slowly began to stand up as electrical currents surrounded Shocker's body. Suddenly, the electric energy covering Shocker's tan fur literally zapped him towards Hitmontop with blinding speed. Once Shocker's body collided with Hitmontop, Shocker pinned the fighter down and released a powerful Thunderbolt. The electric attack was enough to render Hitmontop unconscious, making it unable to continue the battle.

_"What a stunning performance from Jason Patton's Raichu,"_ said Leo Barkley. "_That's got to be a bit of an upset for Morris."_

_"Indeed, Leo. It's not everyday you see an Electric-Type with Fighting-Type attacks and defense. Let's see how Patton handles Morris's next Pokemon."_

Taylor recalled his Hitmontop and released his eight foot tall Nidoking. The robust Ground-Type roared and pounded his chest as Jason recalled Shocker. He grabbed the Pokeball that contained Powerhouse and released the powerful Machamp into the arena. Powerhouse made no room for hesitation as he charged Nidoking head on as soon as his feet hit the ground. Nidoking snarled at his opponent and charged forward with his head low.

Powerhouse, in a surprise move, slid forward on his back before Nidoking could jab his horn into the four armed beast and pressed his legs on Nidoking's gut while grabbing onto the back of the Ground-Type's shoulders. Using Nidoking's momentum against him, Powerhouse used his legs to lift Nidoking up from the ground and pulled on the shoulders so that Nidoking would flip forward and land hard on his back.

"Careful, Nidoking," said Taylor. "That thing knows how to bring anything down to the ground. Strike in the midsection and the legs. Keep away from those four arms as best as you can."

"Just like that, Powerhouse," said Jason. "Keep close and watch out for that horn. You don't want to get shot with a horn drill."

Nidoking stood up to his feet and turned around to see Powerhouse standing directly in front of him. Before Nidoking could react in time, Powerhouse landed alternating body shots with his lower arms while keeping a tight grip on Nidoking's horn with his upper arms. Nidoking freed himself from Powerhouse's clutches with a well placed knee to the gut, followed by an uppercut to the chin. Powerhouse staggered back a few paces while Nidoking lowered his head once more.

As Powerhouse regained his footing, Nidoking charged him head on with his horn pointed towards the fighter's chest. Powerhouse evaded the charging beast with a sidestep and wrapped his lower right arm around Nidoking's neck. He then swung the beast around 360 degrees before letting go of Nidoking's neck, launching the Ground-Type towards Taylor's post. Nidoking landed a few feet away from Taylor's platform.

"Use your Pin Needle strike," said Taylor. "You're gonna have to keep your distance from that Machamp!"

Nidoking pointed its horn at the distant Powerhouse and strained. Suddenly, five smaller horns grew from around the central horn, all dripping with a vile green liquid. Jason paid close attention to the barbs on Nidoking's head and quickly discovered what was about to happen.

"Watch it, Powerhouse! Knock away those Pin Needles as best as you can and charge that thing! Take 'em down!"

Powerhouse pounded his chest with his lower arms and raised his upper arms towards his face as he ran towards Nidoking. The lavender Ground-Type launched the poisoned barbs from his head one at a time. As Powerhouse continued his pursuit, he knocked away each poisoned barb with his four fists until he was a mere three feet from Nidoking. The Ground-Type suffered a strong uppercut from both left arms of Powerhouse, followed by a brutal back fist from both right arms. The blow of the double back fists sent Nidoking spinning in the air until he landed hard on his back. There was no more movement in Nidoking, for the blow of the back fist had knocked him out for the count.

_"Another astonishing victory for newcomer Jason Patton,"_ said Leo Barkley as Taylor recalled his fainted Nidoking. _"Morris must be baffled at how fast his Pokemon are losing to Patton's winning team."_

_"No mistaking Patton's knowledge of Pokemon ability, Leo. But then again, Morris has come through in a lot of seemingly impossible odds."_

_"What do you think he's going to send out this time, Jeff?"_

_"I'm betting on his Typhlosion, Leo. It's the strongest Pokemon he has on his roster and he needs all the help he can get if he wants to beat Patton. He has to beat Patton's Raichu, Machamp, and whatever else he sends out there to win this match. I have seen Morris accomplish such a task before, and I believe he can do it again of he sends out his Typhlosion."_

_"I guess we'll have to see, Jeff. I gotta tell ya, I'm excited to see what Patton's next Pokemon is capable of. He's certainly made a lasting impression on us so far."_

As Jason recalled Powerhouse, Taylor reached for the Pokeball that contained the first Pokemon he ever acquired and trained, Typhlosion. He held the Pokeball in his hand as his eyes gazed upon his distant opponent. Jason didn't move a muscle as he starred back at Taylor, waiting patiently for his next move. After taking a deep breath, Taylor released his strongest Pokemon, the powerful Typhlosion. The Johto native Fire-Type was nine feet in length from snout to tail-tip and stood on all fours. Its thick fur was stiff and stuck up, and its mane was composed of a live flame. The stadium crowd cheered for Taylor's anchor Pokemon as the deadly quadruped shook its stiff blue and tan fur, emitting dozens of little embers from its mane.

Jason smirked at Taylor as he reached for Char's rarely used Pokeball. "Alright, Char," whispered Jason. "It's time for the world to meet you. Let's make a good first impression."

Jason released the Dragon-Type from his Pokeball. Char stood himself upright at a slow pace as his eyes glared into Typhlosion's. No sounds came from Char's lips as Typhlosion hissed and dragged its fore claws against the ground.

_"Uh... Well that's a Pokemon I've never seen,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Jeff, have you ever seen anything like that?"_

Jeff Rogers shook his head and said, _"Can't say that I have, Leo. Let's see what the Pokedex identifies it as."_

_"Good idea, Jeff. By the way, fans, this Pokedex Report is brought to you by_ Oak Industries Incorporated, Live The Adventure."

Typhlosion began pacing from left to right on all fours as it starred into the eyes of Char. Char snarled at Typhlosion but stood his ground as he watched his opponent's movements carefully. Suddenly, Typhlosion's movements hastened as it moved closer towards Char. The powerful Dragon-Type paced himself as Typhlosion pounced at Char from his left. Char turned to his left slightly and bent his body backwards as he grabbed on to Typhlosion's underarm and flipped it over him, smashing Typhlosion on its back. His grip on the Fire-Type's arm firm, he flung Typhlosion over his head once more and smashed its back onto the ground. He repeated the move two more times before throwing Typhlosion towards Taylor's training platform. Typhlosion landed a few feet away from Taylor and quickly stood to its feet.

_"Well then,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Whatever this thing is, it definitely has plenty of strength as well as speed."_

_"That thing threw Typhlosion around like a sack of potatoes! Let's see what the Pokedex has to say about this thing."_

Jeff Rogers took a look at the data from the league's Pokedex. He frowned at the digital picture of Char's species and read the data.

_"Well, Leo, this is quite the Pokemon we have here! It says here that this mystery Pokemon is actually the evolved form of Charizard. It's eight feet and two inches tall, it has highly flexible wings that can extend to twenty feet in length and, get this, it is a Dragon-Type and a flyer! I haven't seen a trainer use a Dragon-Type since Lance Siegfried of the Elite Four defended his championship against Lennox Brown six years ago!"_

_"Well this is definitely a very peculiar moment in the league's history, Jeff! Not only do we get to see a Dragon-Type, but we also discover that the Charmander family actually has four stages instead of three! Let's see what this creature can do!"_

Char waited patiently as Typhlosion charged at the Dragon-Type once more. The flaming mane on Typhlosion's neck grew in size as it halted its pursuit twenty feet away from Char. The fiery quadruped unleashed a stream of fire from its mouth at its opponent. Char, rather than dodge the Flamethrower attack, let the stream of fire hit his chest and absorbed it into his skin without so much as a slight flinch.

As Typhlosion's Flamethrower diminished, Char roared at his opponent and leaped high into the air. Typhlosion pounced at the airborne Dragon-Type with its claws extended towards Char. Once Typhlosion was within range, Char made a surprise attack by extending his wings to slow his speed in the air and performed a back flip, connecting his feet with Typhlosion's chin. Char finished the surprise attack with two well placed fire balls that sent Typhlosion to the ground. The impact of Typhlosion's back caused a massive dent in the arena's surface.

Char flapped his wings to speed up as he flew towards Typhlosion. Using its flexible spine, Typhlosion sprung itself out of the indention of the grassy arena before Char had a chance to land. Char pulled up and zipped past Typhlosion, but not without landing a right hook on the Fire-Type's face. The blow knocked Typhlosion onto its back once more, and Char flew back towards Jason's trainer's platform.

"Damn you're good, Char," exclaimed Jason into his ear device. "This thing wants to get close, but it still doesn't realize what its dealing with. If it goes for a Fire attack, then I want you to dodge and counter with one of your own. We've played around long enough. Let's make it happen!"

Taylor was beside himself. Not only was Char strong with his strikes, but for such a large Pokemon he was incredibly fast and agile. He watched as Char nodded his dragon head to his trainer and folded his wings back to his back. Typhlosion leaped out of the indented surface and hissed at Char.

"Use your Flame Wheel attack," said Taylor. "It's a hard Fire-Type attack that's hard to dodge. Afterwards attack that thing head on and use your jaws to finish the job. We've gotta take this thing down fast if we want to win."

Typhlosion roared as it leaped high into the air performing blindly fast somersaults. The spinning motion of Typhlosion's acrobatics caused its flaming mane to spread into a wheel of disaster that engulfed Typhlosion's entire body. Char braced himself as the Flame Wheel landed on the ground and rolled towards him at high speed. Char dove and rolled to his right before the Flame Wheel could collide. As Typhlosion made a wide turn, Char launched two fireballs at the Flame Wheel's pathway. The blast of the fireballs caused the Flame Wheel to bounce a few times but appeared to be unaffected by it as it continued its pursuit.

As the Flame Wheel rolled towards Char once more, Char launched another fireball that hit the ground in front of Typhlosion, causing the Flame Wheel to bounce in the air. To Char's surprise, Typhlosion slowed its spinning as it flew above Char, causing the Flame Wheel to vanish as it landed on its feet. With its cat-like flexibility, it sprung itself towards Char and wrapped its body around his torso. Char, unable to react in time, suffered a deadly bite on his left shoulder from Typhlosion's jaws and roared as blood ran down his hide from Typhlosion's teeth.

Typhlosion's flexible spine allowed it to wrap its body around Char's chest and back, forbidding any movement in Char's arms as Typhlosion kept a death grip on its legs with its forearms. As long as Char's neck was, he was unable to counter Typhlosion with a bite of his own. Typhlosion's jaws let go of Char's shoulder, only to bite down hard once again in the same area. Char fell to one knee as he struggled to free himself.

"Keep it up, Typhlosion," said Taylor. "That thing will eventually pass out from the pain. Don't let go, what ever you do!"

"Come on, Char," said Jason. "You've got to free yourself. You might be able to free your wings if you wiggle them enough. Get that fur ball off of you and knock it out with a Dragon attack!"

Char concentrated and ignored the pain in his shoulder as he wiggled his left wing. Eventually, while suffering three more agonizing bites from Typhlosion, Char freed his left wing followed by his right. As Typhlosion opened its mouth for another bite, Char pulled against Typhlosion's throat with the edge of his left wing while his right wing slid between the Fire-Type's legs and gut. Using his superior strength, Char flung Typhlosion from his torso with his wings and quickly turned around and unleashed a blue stream of energy from his mouth, an attack known as Dragon Breath. The attack hit Typhlosion hard in the chest as it flew away from Char in the air and forced it to the ground, knocking it out for the count.

The crowd cheered for Jason over his victory as Char pressed his right hand on the bite marks on his left shoulder. Jason raised his fist in the air and pulled it back down quickly towards his side, pleased with his victory.

_"And that's it,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"In a surprise move, Patton's Pokemon frees itself from Typhlosion's grasp and finishes the job with a Dragon-Type attack. What a heartbreaker for Taylor Morris."_

_"This is the first time Morris has ever had to go home after the first round, Leo. I can't imagine what he's thinking right now."_

Taylor recalled his unconscious Typhlosion and leaned his arms against the railing on his trainer's post as his sights remained on the grassy field below him. His disappointment flooded his thoughts as he slowly brought his sights to his opponent's trainer's post. To his surprise, Jason was already half way across the field walking towards Taylor with Char following close behind. Taylor climbed down the ladder from his post and walked towards Jason.

Taylor stood in front of Jason with a blank look on his face. Jason smirked and extended his right hand towards Taylor, gesturing him to shake it. After a moment's hesitation, Taylor grabbed Jason's hand and shook it, returning Jason's good sportsmanship. Jason pulled Taylor closer to him and wrapped his left arm around Taylor's shoulder, patting Taylor's back.

"Damn good job, buddy," said Jason. "You gave my boys quite a work out."

"Thanks man," replied Taylor. "Just don't lose anytime soon so I don't have to feel bad about going home so early in the game."

"You got it," said Jason as they let go of the embrace and went their separate ways. Jason grabbed Char's left wrist and raised it high in the air for the crowd of people in the stadium, provoking the audience to roar even louder. Taylor left the arena with a weak smile, having a different outlook about his loss.

* * *

A young boy with short brown hair and blue pajamas sat down in front of the small television set in the living room. His eyes were glued to the screen as he saw Jason and Char shouting to the crowd of people in the stadium. The boy felt as if he had seen the man on television before. Jason reminded the boy of the man who was standing in front of the house weeks ago, the same man that his mother was staring at with a tear in her eye.

Suddenly, the boy's blonde mother walked into the house through the front door with two sacks of groceries in her arms. "Hi, sweetie-pie," said the mother as she closed the door behind her with her foot.

The boy pointed at the t.v. screen and said, "Mommy, look! It's the strange man you were looking at! He's on t.v.!"

The mother caught a glimpse of the television screen and saw Jason waving to the crowd with Char. With Jason's name under him, she dropped her sacks of groceries and ran towards the t.v., kneeling down behind her son.

Although the boy was very young, he was able to read the name on the prompter underneath Jason and tilted his head with a frown on his face. "Why does the man on t.v. have the same last name as us, mommy?"

A tear ran down the mother's face as she smiled and wrapped her arms around her son. "Remember how I said that man was someone I once knew, sweetie?"

The boy nodded while keeping his sights on the television.

"That's because he isn't just any man," continued the mother. "He's your brother, sweetie."

The little boy smiled as the mother tightened her embrace on him. He hoped that he might be able to meet his older brother some day. His mother smiled brighter as she watched Jason on the television screen, proud to see him happy and succeeding.

* * *

Jason's next match was with a young girl named Daniela Reed, a Pallet Town native of roughly sixteen years of age. She wore her long brown hair down underneath her white and red stripped beanie hat. Her tank top was sky blue in color and her miniskirt was maroon red. Like Jason, she was new to the tournament and had great skill as a trainer. With two years of experience backing her up, she was ready to introduce herself and her Pokemon to the world. She made a good first impression with her victory in the first round against a native of the Hoenn region.

_"Welcome to Round 2 of the Indigo Plateau League tournament. I'm Leo Barkley and as always is my partner in crime, Jeff Rogers. Our first match of the day pits Pallet Town native Daniela Reed against Cinnabar Island's Jason Patton. Both are newcomers to the League and both have made stunning victories in the first round. Jeff, what can you tell us about this upcoming match up?"_

_"Well, Leo, I'm betting on Patton on this match. Not that I have anything against newcomer Reed, it's just I think she still has a lot to learn about Pokemon training. The last match she had was handled very well, but it was nothing compared to the match between Patton and Morris. Reed is a talented trainer, there's no doubt about that. But she's going to have her hands full with this match."_

Jason climbed the ladder to his trainer's post and waited patiently for the fog horn to sound in the distance. He kept his sights glued to his opponent across the field from him and caressed one of his Pokeballs on his belt. Daniela held on to a decorated Pokeball and leaned her arms on the railing of her trainer's post. Once the fog horn finally sounded from the west, both trainers released their first Pokemon into the arena. Jason had sent out his powerful Psychic-Type, Espeon, while Daniela released Kanto's local legend, Arcanine. Arcanine was a canine Fire-Type Pokemon with orange, black, and tan striped coloration in its bushy fur. It reached a height of six feet and eight inches, and its large brown eyes stared deep into the red orbs of Espeon.

"Remember how you dealt with the last trainer with an Arcanine, Espeon," said Jason. "Use your barriers to block its fire attacks and surprise it with some close ranged moves. You've gotta catch this thing off-guard before you start using your big power attacks."

"Keep your guard up with this one, Arcanine," said Daniela into her ear piece. "It might not look like much but that thing's a strong Psychic type. If you feel it gripping you with a psychic hold launch a Flamethrower at it."

Arcanine lifted its mighty head and howled at the sky before beginning a running rampage towards its tiny opponent. Each footstep from Arcanine shook the arena slightly and left behind a trail of large muddy footprints. Espeon stood her ground and waited patiently while Arcanine charged towards her. Suddenly, Arcanine performed a high leap into the air with its paws extended outward in front of it. Rather than moving away, Espeon kept her ground and starred into Arcanine's eyes as its body stopped in midair a few feet away from Espeon. After Arcanine wiggled its levitating body for a moment, Espeon twitched her head to the left slightly, a movement that sent Arcanine's backside crashing into the ground at high speed only to be sent flying into the air once more. Espeon's psychic grip flung Arcanine violently in random directions, forbidding any movement control for Arcanine as its limbs body flew throughout the arena.

Espeon crashed Arcanine's underbelly into the arena ground once more, indenting the surface from the impact. In an act of desperation, Arcanine unleashed a stream of fire from its mighty jaws towards Espeon in an attempt to free itself from its opponent's psychic hold. Thinking quickly, Espeon braced herself and shut her eyes tightly as a turquoise wall of energy appeared in front of her. The stream of fire collided with Espeon's barrier and was unable to breach through, keeping Espeon safe from harm but also forcing the psychic quadruped to let go of her hold over Arcanine. In control of its own body once more, Arcanine unleashed another stream of fire that made its way to the arena's surface ten feet away from Espeon.

As the stream of fire continued to flow from Arcanine's jaws, Espeon paced from left to right as it studied the fiery mass that engulfed a small portion of the grassy field in front of her. Suddenly, the fire before Espeon quickly spread into another stream that circled the Psychic-Type with a diameter of thirty feet in a mere seven seconds. Trapped inside the circle of flame, Espeon curled herself into a ball as the fire around her began to shrink in size and shape, drawing nearer towards her with haste. Just as the fire came within a few feet away, a massive cone of dark violet energy grew from Espeon and forced the circle of flame away from her, eventually extinguishing the fire around her. The aftereffect of Espeon's protective psychic cone produced a shockwave that could be felt by not only Arcanine, but a small portion of the audience as well.

_"My goodness, Jeff,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"This is an astonishing display of power from both Pokemon. I have never seen any Pokemon able to force back a Fire Spin from a powerful Fire-Type such as Arcanine."_

_"I've got a feeling that Espeon drained a great deal of energy in deflecting Arcanine's Fire Spin. Did you feel that shockwave? Truly remarkable!"_

As Espeon took a moment to regain her strength, Arcanine took this moment to its advantage and ran towards Espeon, strafing from left to right as it kept its pursuit quick in pace. Once Arcanine was within reasonable range it pounced at the seemingly weakened Psychic-Type. Seconds before Arcanne could reach its target with its claws, Espeon's ears twitched once, a movement that was followed by a quick leap out of Arcanine's midair path. Without hesitation, Arcanine pounced at Espeon once more only to land on its feet again as Espeon performed a leaping front somersault out of harms way. Rather than landing on her feet, Espeon kept her body curled up in a ball and literally rolled at high speed, making a wide turn towards Arcanine and leaving a trail of dirt and grass.

"Stop its advance, Arcanine," shouted Daniela. "There's no telling what that thing's gonna do! Keep your distance and launch a few fire balls at it so you can take it down while it recovers!"

"This match is all yours Espeon," said Jason with confidence in his tone. "Rock and Roll with this mutt and finish it with your Shadow Ball attack."

Espeon's rolling body zipped towards Arcanine with only her ears extended out, keeping her body balanced as she continued her pursuit. Arcanine did as her trainer instructed and launched three fire balls at the pathway of Espeon's rolling. Before the flaming masses could collide with the ground, Espeon used her split-end tail to spring her body high into the air, avoiding the fire balls as her blindingly fast spinning body flew towards Arcanine. Suddenly, the furry ball stopped its pursuit in the air a few feet away from Arcanine's head, her body still spinning at high speed as it levitated. Arcanine brought its head back a ways and tilted it to the side, looking at the spinning phenomenon as a young pup would when flooded with curiosity. In a surprise move, Espeon's floating body flew towards Arcanine and collided with its face only to perform a small circle and hit Arcanine once again at a different angle, Espeon continued this deadly flying maneuver, repeatedly colliding with Arcanine's face from random angles with such speed that Espeon left behind a trail of lavender circles behind her.

After about the twentieth hit, Espeon bounced her way back while Arcanine remained dazed and off balance. With amazing speed, Espeon flew towards Arcanine once more and bounced on the ground a few feet in front of Arcanine. The bounce allowed Espeon to collide herself with Arcanine's chin with such force that it sent Arcanine flying into the air. Espeon then arced her aerial pathway so that she was several feet away from Arcanine and uncurled her body after she brought her spinning to a halt. She then unleashed a barrage of dark violet energy balls from the gem on her forehead at Arcanine. These Shadow Balls collided with Arcanine's underbelly and drove it back to the ground, emitting small blasts with each collision that eventually rendered the Fire-Type canine unconscious and unable to continue.

_"Incredible,"_ shouted Leo Barkley. _"Never in my time have I seen such an attack! That Espeon won by a landslide!"_

_"I've just gotta say, Leo, that Patton's debut match was stunning enough. His matches just keep getting better and better. I can only imagine what must be going on in Reed's head right now."_

Daniela recalled her defeated Arcanine and starred at her distant opponent with astonishment and disarray. Never in her career as a trainer had she seen a Pokemon with that kind of power. Unsure as to whether or not Jason would continue using Espeon, she sent out the next Pokemon on her roster, Scyther. Being a very fast and agile Bug-Type Pokemon, Daniela felt confident in Scyther's type advantage over Espeon, for Bug-Type Pokemon had an unusual resistance to Psychic-Type attacks.

Scyther was a four foot eleven inch Bug-Type with curved scythe claws for forearms and two pairs of insect-like wings on its back. The three outgrowths on its head were straight and sharp, and its jaws were filled with sickle shaped teeth. It's insect joints allowed for exceptional flexibility which added to its agility, and its exoskeleton body was hard enough to absorb large amounts of physical damage.

Jason returned Espeon to her Pokeball and kissed its surface before replacing it with Shocker's. He released his Electric wonder into the arena and immediately pressed the button on his headset.

"Alright, Shocker, stay alert with this one. Concentrate your attacks on its joints and keep away from those arms. If it takes to the skies, wait until it flies towards you before you zap the shit out of it and get out of the way fast. It won't be able to recover in time if you can make it eat the grass it crashes into."

"Keep track of that rat's movements, Scyther," said Daniela. "It's pretty small, so it will be hard to hit. Don't fly unless you absolutely have to, otherwise it might use an electric attack on you. I remember seeing this rodent fighting in the first round and I know that it likes to get in close. It won't be able to do a lot of damage to your skin, so lure it inside and counter its attacks with your arms and feet."

Scyther hissed at Shocker and clanked its scythe arms together. Shocker wasted no time with intimidation and ran towards Scyther on all fours. As Scyther kept its sights on Shocker's movements, the Electric-Type rodent used the end of his tail to lunge himself at Scyther with intent on colliding his right shoulder to Scyther's thorax. Scyther bent its body back and to the right, forcing Shocker to miss his target and leaving him open for a vertical slice from Scyther's right arm. In a surprise move, Shocker swung his tail towards his back, using the momentum he needed to avoid Scyther's deadly scythe arm by a few inches.

As soon as Shocker landed on his feet, he was forced to leap out of harms way as Scyther dug its left scythe into the ground where Shocker once stood. Shocker responded by leaping high into the air over Scyther, performing a flipping maneuver that began as a front flip but ended with Shocker landing on his feet facing the opposite direction due to a 180 degree spin midway through the move. Before Shocker landed on the ground he kicked both of his hind legs at Scyther's back, forcing Scyther to stagger forward a few steps before it could quickly turn and face Shocker.

Scyther hissed and stepped towards Shocker with its arms ready to swing. It sliced at Shocker vertically with its left, of which was dodged by Shocker with a simple backwards jump. Shocker then countered with a jump kick that collided with Scyther's vulnerable area located between its thorax and abdomen. The kick hit with such force that it nearly knocked the wind out of Scyther, causing the insect Pokemon to fall to one knee. Shocker used this to his advantage and performed a back flip with his right leg outstretched, colliding his foot with Scyther's chin. Scyther flinched and rose to its feet, staggering back a few steps before suffering another brutal jump kick to its thorax which knocked it down to the ground.

_"Nice shot from Patton's Raichu,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"I wander if Reed's Scyther still has something up its sleeve?"_

_"This is what I expected to see, Leo. No offense to Reed and her Pokemon, but I just think she needs a little more experience if she hopes to do well in this tournament. But then again, Scyther still hasn't taken to the skies yet, which is where it seems to be the most comfortable. Reed might still have a chance if her Pokemon can get their heads in the game."_

Scyther stood up to its feet and shook its head, trying to regain its composure from Shocker's deadly feet. Shocker dug his tail into the ground and slowly rose himself above the ground, balancing himself with his exceptionally strong appendage.

"Alright, Scyther," said Daniela. "I've already had enough of this rat. Concentrate and use your Sword's Dance meditation. Your erratic movements might confuse it, giving you more time to charge up your speed. When you feel more comfortable in your ability, go all out and take to the skies if you have to. Make it regret taking those lucky shots."

Scyther hissed at Shocker and began to move its arms in a peculiar fashion, wildly swinging them in all directions as if it were practicing some sort of martial arts kata. Shocker monitored its movements and removed his tail from the ground, pacing back and forth while trying to find an opening.

"Back away, Shocker," said Jason.

Shocker turned and frowned at his distant trainer, confused as to why Jason didn't want him to attack.

"It's trying to give itself a speed boost. Let it. Give it all the time it wants and be ready to show it that you overpower its speed. Remember what I taught you about how to use a Pokemon's agility against it. You'll do fine, trust me."

Shocker nodded at Jason and backed away a few paces from Scyther as the insect Pokemon continued its katas. Scyther's movements were very active and precise, covering a great deal of ground as it moved. It took large steps and flowed each scythe swing with each other. Once its katas were finished, Scyther clanked its arms together and shrieked at Shocker before charging Shocker head on. Shocker stood his ground and popped his neck, anticipating Scyther's first move.

Scyther's first set of moves consisted of five alternating horizontal slices, all of which were dodged by Shocker by ducking and jumping over each swing. Scyther then performed an upward vertical slash, of which Shocker avoided by leaping to the right slightly. While Shocker remained in the air, Scyther twisted its body and performed a spinning backhand, using the dull side of his forearm. Shocker, still midair, used his feet to block the backhand and followed through with a back flip to the ground.

As soon as Shocker's feet met the grassy field, Scyther leaped high into the air with both of its arms above its head, hoping to collide them with Shocker's shoulders. Shocker waited until the very last second before Scyther landed and leaped straight up above Scyther while the Bug-Type Pokemon dug both scythes into the ground. Shocker landed his feet on top of Scyther's head and back flipped away, facing his opponent as he landed.

Scyther pulled its scythes out of the ground only to suffer a leaping uppercut from Shocker's right paw, one that had a surprisingly high impact in Scyther's chin. Scyther paced back a few steps and leaped towards Shocker, twisting its body with its arms outstretched to perform a windmill-like slashing maneuver. Shocker rolled out of the way and watched as Scyther flapped its wings and took to the skies. Shocker used this opportunity to charge its cheeks with electricity and waited for a good shot.

After Scyther made a wide turn it flew straight for Shocker with its right scythe outstretched and its left close to its face. Shocker, charged and ready to strike, released a small stream of electricity from his right paw, of which Scyther avoided by shifting its flight path to the left a little. Shocker released three more at Scyther, all of which were barely dodged by Scyther's exceptional flying ability. Once Scyther was almost within range it pulled its right scythe behind its head and prepared itself for a powerful slice. Shocker avoided the deadly scythe by rolling underneath Scyther's path, forcing Scyther to pull up and prepare for another pass.

"Use your Thunder Wave and paralyze its wings, Shocker," shouted Jason. "It's time to finish this!"

As Scyther flew upward from the failed attempt, Shocker waved his tail from side to side and unleashed waves of near transparent blue energy that traveled towards Scyther at incredible speeds.

"Look out, Scyther," shouted Daniela.

But it was too late. The waves of energy made their way to Scyther's wings and shocked them with electrical currents. Scyther shrieked at the pain it felt and landed on its feet after a high fall, falling to one knee while Shocker made a running charge at Scyther. Shocker's cheeks sparked with electrical currents as he leaped for Scyther and arched his back, landing his feet on Scyther's chin. As Scyther began to bend its neck forward after flinching, Shocker landed his feet on Scyther's head and leaped high into the air with his right paw reaching for the skies above him. Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning shot from the skies as Shocker swung his right paw downward, pointing at Scyther below him. The lightning bolt hit Scyther and shocked the weakened Bug-Type Pokemon with enough force that it knocked it out. Scyther was unable to recover from the bolt of lightning.

The roar of the audience grew louder in reaction to such a fine display of power. Daniela's eyes widened, shocked beyond belief at how her Scyther fell victim to Shocker's Thunder attack. Jason clenched his fist and shook it near his face, obviously appeased with Shocker's performance. Both trainers recalled their Pokemon back into their Pokemon, of which raised Daniela's frustration for she didn't know what to expect from Jason's next Pokemon. Considering that she lost her two first Pokemon to Jason's speed, she decided that she needed to use her powerful Alakazam, the only Pokemon on her roster that might be able to counter Jason's speed.

Jason watched as Daniela released her Alakazam, an eight foot tall Psychic-Type with a very peculiar appearance. It stood tall at eight feet, stood on its hind legs and carried two large spoons in its hands. It's skin was a dark yellow with brown armor-like plates on its forearms, chest, shoulders, and kneecaps. The head consisted of four separate outgrowths, two on each side of its head, and its long pointed snout carried a very long mustache that floated freely in the air.

Jason had encountered many Psychic-Types in his travels and gave all of his Pokemon plenty of experience with them. Wanting to give all of his Pokemon a chance to grab some glory, he sent out his sea traveling Lapras into the arena.

_"Huh, well that's something I didn't expect to see,"_ said Leo Barkley. "_Uh, Jeff what do you think about this?"_

_"Well, Leo, this is certainly a very unexpected move from Patton. Here's what you have to consider: Yes, the Pokemon Lapras is known for having high amounts of power in their attacks, but at the same time they are sea traveling creatures. This is a grass field the competitors are using. Not that I doubt Patton's training ability or his knowledge of Pokemon for that matter, but I just don't see how his Lapras is going to be able to get from place to place in this arena."_

_"Well I guess we're just going to have to see for ourselves just how Patton hopes to beat Reed's Alakazam. I gotta tell ya, Jeff, Patton's matches get more and more interesting each time I see them."_

_"No doubt about that, Leo."_

Daniela frowned and chuckled to herself as she saw who her Alakazam's opponent was. At the same time, however, she was worried. She knew better than to underestimate her opponent, especially in this case being that she lost both her Arcanine and Scyther to Jason's superior training methods. She knew that she would have to be very careful with this one.

"Alright, Alakazam," said Daniela. "I don't know what this guy's thinking sending a sea traveler against you, but don't let that fool you into getting sucker punched. Just relax and keep track of what this thing does while you overpower it with your Psychic attacks. Keep your distance, which shouldn't be too difficult as far as I'm concerned, and you should do fine."

Jason smiled and pressed the button on his headset as he said, "You're gonna have to get close to this Psychic-Type if you wanna avoid getting thrown around. Show these people what you think of this dry field."

Lapras arched its neck back howled its high-pitched cry as Alakazam used its telekinetic abilities to bend the spoons it held in its hands. Suddenly, Lapras unleashed a stream of shining blue ice at Alakazam. The Psychic-Type quickly swung its right hand in an uppercut motion, creating a purple energy shield that kept the Ice Beam at bay. The Ice Beam connected with Alakazam's barrier with such force that it caused Alakazam's feet to slide along the grassy field backwards.

Once Alakazam finally felt no pressure from its barrier, it waved the energy shield away. To Alakazam's dismay and surprise, Lapras's underbelly slid along a large ice trail towards the Psychic-Type at high speed. Unable to react in time, Alakazam fell victim to a tackle from Lapras's right side which knocked the Psychic-Type on its back as Lapras used her Ice Beam attack to create another ice trail and continued to unleash the beam as she slid along the ice, creating a pathway that consisted of a wide left turn away from Alakazam.

_"Whoa,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"Did you see that? Unbelievable!"_

_"I can't believe it! It seems Patton's Lapras has the ability to use its Ice Beam to create an ice roller costar if you will to slide on, and at high speeds no less!"_

Alakazam stood up to its feet and monitored Lapras as she continued to use her ice beam to slid along the arena, keeping her fins on the sides of the ice trail so she could maintain her balance. Alakazam outstretched its left hand and unleashed a powerful Psybeam that hit Lapras's ice trail directly in front of her, the blast causing Lapras to fly high into the air and forcing her to discontinue her Ice Beam. While Lapras remained airborne she spat three large balls of water at the distant Alakazam and unleashed another ice trail below her that she slid down. Alakazam knocked away the first two water blasts with its fist but suffered a forceful hit to its chest, of which caused it to stagger back a few steps as it recovered from the attack.

Daniela starred at the mobile sea creature with disbelief before saying to Alakazam, "You've gotta grip it with your telekinesis, Alakazam! Lure it close and force it to the ground before using another Psybeam!"

Alakazam ran towards where it estimated Lapras would travel to flank her to her right side. As it ran, Alakazam charged its telekinetic energy in its arms and prepared to make its strike. Lapras took notice to Alakazam's approach and directed her ice beam to her right so that she could slide towards Alakazam head on. Alakazam stopped dead in its tracks and waited for the right moment to attack. Once Lapras was seconds away from colliding herself with her opponent, Alakazam rolled out of the way and pointed at Lapras as she passed by.

Suddenly, Lapras levitated high into the air and wobbled herself as Alakazam's psychic powers took control. Alakazam slammed Lapras into the ground repeatedly until Lapras spat a chunk of ice at Alakazam while in the air. As the chunk of ice made impact with Alakazam's face, Lapras used her Ice Beam once more and created a downhill slope for her to fall on and continued her ice trail towards the dazed Alakazam. To Lapras's bad luck, Alakazam had already recovered its composure and unleashed another powerful Psybeam that connected with Lapras's chest. Lapras was sent crashing through the ice slope behind her, causing the ice to shatter as she fell on her hard shelled back.

"That's the way to do it, Alakazam," said Daniela. "It will take that thing some time to make another ice trail. Raise it into the air and stretch its limbs until it's about to pass out, then finish it with one more Psybeam."

Alakazam used its psychic powers to raise Lapras in the air and pulled on her flippers. Lapras squinted her eyes and gritted her teeth as the pressure grew in intensity. To all who witnessed it appeared that Alakazam had the fight won.

"Come on, Lapras," shouted Jason. "It's not over yet! You can still beat this thing! Distract it with a minor Hydro Pump and free yourself from its grasp. The you can freeze it in place so you can charge up your energy for your finishing move."

Alakazam charged its energy in its right arm as it kept hold of Lapras with its left. As Alakazam prepared to unleash one more Psybeam, Lapras used what energy she could spare to howl her high-pitched cry. This caused a violent rumbling in the ground Alakazam stood on, although the Psychic-Type kept its grip on Lapras. Suddenly, The grass beneath Alakazam cracked and unleashed a stream of high pressured water that sent the Psychic-Type high into the air, forcing it to let go of Lapras. The Water-Type fell on her underbelly and waited for Alakazam to land on its back while charging an Ice Beam in her mouth. After Alakazam landed hard on the grassy field, it slowly stood to its feet only to be frozen from its feet to its neck by Lapras's Ice Beam.

"Get out of there, Alakazam," shouted Daniela. "You've broken yourself out of ice like this before. Use your Psychic power to break the ice and finish that thing before it recharges itself!"

As Alakazam concentrated on breaking the blanket of ice, Lapras raised her head upward and looked directly into the sun above her without squinting her eyes. As she did so, yellow beams of light began to shine through the small crack of her lips as small green particles of energy slowly fell to her shelled back, causing her back to shine a bright green light. Soon after, Alakazam managed to crack the surface of the ice covering its body while Lapras slowly opened her mouth, yellow light shining brightly from inside. Suddenly, the ice that covered Alakazam finally shattered and freed Alakazam from the cold blanket. It was at that very moment that Lapras unleashed a gargantuan beam of yellow and green energy from her mouth that collided with Alakazam's chest, causing a massive blast of energy that knocked Alakazam clear across the arena. Alakazam had been defeated at last.

_"Incredible,"_ shouted Leo Barkley as the crowd's applause grew. _"I can't believe my eyes! Patton's Lapras wins with a Solarbeam! I didn't know that a Water-Type could learn that move!"_

_"I'm as shocked as you, Leo. What a finish. Jason Patton advances to the semi-finals. What a finish!"_

Daniela took a deep breath to calm her disappointment as she recalled her weakened Psychic-Type. She lowered her sights to the railing of her trainer's post as Jason jumped down from his post and ran towards Lapras. The sea creature smiled and waddled her fins towards her trainer until Jason lunged for her with arms open, embracing his Pokemon proudly as he whispered into her ear about how proud he was. Daniela took notice to Jason's embrace and smiled to herself, knowing that even though she lost it was to a talented and respectable trainer. She turned around and climbed down her post, thinking to herself about how hopefully she would do better next year.

* * *

Giovanni sat behind his desk looking over a group of documents with a slight smirk on his face, satisfied with what he had been reading. Suddenly, he heard a rapping on his office door that was fast in pace and seemed full of purpose. He set his documents aside and cleared his throat as he stood from his chair.

"Yes," said Giovanni.

Giovanni's second, Captain Turner, approached Giovanni's desk with haste. "Sir, there's something I think you should know."

"Out with it then, Captain."

"It has just come to my knowledge that Jason Patton is competing in the Indigo Plateau League. He has just won the match that will take him to the semi-finals."

Giovanni's eyes widened and an evil smirk formed across his lips. "Has he," he asked with delight.

Without another word, Captain Turner reached for a remote control and pointed it at the left wall of Giovanni's office where a large flat screen television was mounted. He pressed the power button on the remote to turn the television on and switched to the channel that was hosting the tournament. Giovanni watched the screen and saw Jason embracing his Lapras as the commentators reviewed the match that had just ended.

_"Incredible,"_ shouted Leo Barkley through the television's speakers. _"I can't believe my eyes! Patton's Lapras wins with a Solarbeam! I didn't know that a Water-Type could learn that move!"_

_"I'm as shocked as you, Leo. What a finish. Jason Patton advances to the semi-finals. What a finish!"_

_"I can't wait to see how Patton handles his match against Kamon Antonio. We've seen Antonio plenty of times in this tournament, but I doubt he's ever encountered a challenge such as what he's about to face. That's going to be a match to see, I'll tell ya!"_

Giovanni's smirk grew as he turned towards Turner. "I would like very much to see how our old friend Patton handles our operative in the tournament. See to it that the match is recorded. If Patton wins, I may have a trip to plan. I do miss our old friend, don't you, Captain?"

"Oh yes, Sir," said Turner as he smirked at his superior. "Very much."

Giovanni gazed upon the screen once more and watched as Jason congratulated his Lapras, raising his fist in the air with victory as the audience cheered and chanted his name.

* * *

_Well there you have it folks! So what did you think? Too intense? Too boring? TELL ME! I tried to be as specific as I could with the battle scenes, but if you have any questions just send me a review and I will PM you the answer as soon as I ready the review._

_As far as the commentators, I wanted to give the reader a chance to really experience what it must have been like to watch these fights on t.v. I made the desicion to create the commentators at the last minute and just sort of added to the story with them talking. It gives the chapter a bit of a Monday Night Football feel to it, but I think it fits the story._

_Anyway, the next chapter will consist of two more battles and some surprise appearances much like that of Jason's mother and Giovanni. I'll also go over the trainers that Jason faces in the author's notes as to how I created them and their names._

_Please send me some reviews guys. Once again I'm very sorry for keeping you guys waiting for this chapter. I will try my very best to update this story as soon as possible, but it may take some time. My new job eats up a lot of my time on the computer but I will update this very soon. You will not have to wait as long as you did for this one, I promise. See ya next chapter!_


	10. Chapter 10

_I'M BACK BABY!!! Ok, before everyone get's really mad at me for not posting quickly enough, let me say that I'm very sorry to have made you guys wait. First of all my computer is completely screwed up lately and my work schedule doesn't make anything easier. So with that in mind I will no longer post any predicted time line. Once again, guys, I'm sorry and I thank you sincerely for your patience._

_Anyways, this chapter knocked the hell out of me when I wrote it. For one it's incredibly long and plus I've managed to make the battles much more dramatic this time with a 'build-up' tactic. You'll get a chance to see some familiar faces in this chapter, as well as an interesting Pokemon reference as well. But I won't get into all that. Instead I'll let you guys see for yourself! Enjoy!

* * *

_

**Chapter 10: The Indigo Plateau: Final Rounds**

Evening came by very quickly for Jason as he found himself wandering into one of the many local pubs near the stadium, fresh off his latest victory. Once inside he could see that the place was crowded with people, both trainers and spectators alike, and that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Soft rock music played from the jukebox located in the southwest corner of the bar, and a large majority of the customers surrounded the pool tables playing rounds of eight ball while enjoying their drinks and conversing to each other.

Jason picked an empty stool at the bar and took a seat. As he waited for the bartender to approach him, Jason grabbed a sheet of paper from his back right pants pocket and unfolded it to see what it read. It was a detailed layout of the tournament roster given to him by one of the many League officials before the opening ceremonies of the tournament. Between his matches Jason kept close tabs on all of the competitors, watching every battle either from the small television set in his locker room or from the stadium audience.

Jason viewed the tournament roster and saw that his next match was against Kamon Antonio, a Johto native from Goldenrod City. Jason remembered watching Kamon in his matches, how the Johto native primarily used Pokemon of large size and Special Attack power. His Pokemon roster consisted of Alakazam, Feraligator, Sneasel, Rhydon, Gengar, and Tyranitar. Sneasel was always put out into battle first, being Kamon's weakest Pokemon on his roster. Depending on what his opponent would use his second would always be different, but his Tyranitar was always sent out last.

Jason's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of the pub's bartender. "What can I get for you, sir," asked the tall clean-cut man behind the bar.

Jason folded the sheet of paper and directed his attention to the bartender. "I'll just have a club soda, thanks."

The bartender raised an eyebrow at Jason and said, "With the way you've been climbing up the ranks I'm surprised you don't want to celebrate."

Jason smirked and said, "I take it you▓ve been watching the games?"

"Certainly have, sir, and dare I say I know very well who you are. You're Jason Patton, owner of a winning team of Pokemon taking the Indigo Plateau to an all new level. You're becoming the biggest sensation since Lance Siegfried joined the Elite Four."

Jason widened his eyes slightly and chuckled. "Didn't know I was becoming that famous."

"Well let me tell you what I know, of you don't mind. Every year I watch the games on t.v. while I tend bar. I've been here for almost a decade and I've seen a lot of fresh faces on t.v. but I have never seen anyone compete with a team of Pokemon like yours who can do the things they've done in the arena so far. So again, I'm surprised you don't feel like celebrating a little."

A sudden gust of pride hit Jason gut as he absorbed the bartender's words. "That's nice of you to say, bro. I ain't drinking because I gave up alcohol a long time ago. Besides I wanna stay fresh for my match tomorrow."

The bartender smirked and slowly nodded his head in approval. "One club soda coming up. First round's on the house."

As Jason and the bartender continued their conversation, a young man with long red hair entered the bar wearing a black track jacket, dark blue jean pants and black tennis shoes. Most of the people who noticed the man's entrance immediately recognized him and did their best to keep to themselves. Soon after the man's entrance, he took notice to Jason conversing with the bartender and walked towards them with an ill-favored look on his face.

"So anyway," continued Jason to the bartender, "me and Char are chasing this rampaging Gyarados through the city while its bashing its way through small convenient stores and wrecking cars along the way. People everywhere are panicking, the cops are running for their lives-"

"Get me a beer," interrupted the red-haired man as he took a seat next to Jason.

Jason glanced at the man sitting next to him with content in his eyes but decided against saying anything. The bartender nervously nodded his head at the red-haired man and grabbed a beer mug, setting it underneath a tap and pouring the golden beverage into the glass.

"One beer, Mr. Antonio," said the bartender as he handed the beer mug to Kamon.

Jason lit up a cigarette as Kamon gulped about half of the liquid in his glass. Kamon set his drink down and starred at Jason with an evil smirk.

"So you're the guy everyone can't seem to shut up about," said Kamon as Jason finished his club soda. "Word is you're pretty tough."

Jason smirked at Kamon and stood up from his seat as he said, "I am, but if you use a good tenderizer I might actually cook up pretty well."

"Wonderful," said Kamon as Jason walked away from the bar. "Another comedian. Hey Patton, how's your finger?"

Jason stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around to face Kamon. "What did you just say?"

Kamon's smirk grew a little as he said, "I'll bet it hurt like hell when Giovanni hacked your middle finger off. You're not left handed, are you?"

Jason's blood boiled with rage. It had been four years since he was attacked by the mob boss of Team Rocket, but his injury was still very fresh in his memory.

"How the fuck did you know about that," said Jason through gritted teeth as he clenched his fists.

Kamon stood up from his seat and approached Jason with the same evil smirk on his lips. Once he was within two feet away from Jason, he responded by saying, "Who do you think I work for-"

Jason landed a hard right hook on Kamon's chin and tackled him towards the bar. Kamon's back hit the bar hard before Jason lifted him up and slammed him over the bar. Before Kamon could do anything to get away, Jason quickly pulled out his butterfly knife from his utility belt and pressed the blade's sharp edge against Kamon's throat.

Everyone in the bar backed away from the struggle and watched with widened eyes and open mouths, shocked at how quickly the situation worsened to such a level. One of the observers was a tall man with short black hair, wearing a thin, zipped up red jacket with the collar sticking up and black pants. He looked at both men as if he recognized them and worried about the outcome of the struggle.

Jason kept a tight grip on Kamon's jacket while pressing his knife against Kamon's throat. "Your Boss is walkin' on thin ice, asshole."

"You can't touch him, Patton," said Kamon. "He didn't send me to follow you. I'm here to compete."

Jason took a hand full of Kamon's hair and tugged it towards him. Kamon grunted as his face was jerked towards Jason. Suddenly, Jason took a moment to monitor his surroundings and saw dozens of shocked faces starring at him. Knowing that this sort of behavior could cost him his spot in the League, he slowly put away his knife and let go of Kamon's hair.

"I'll see you in the arena," whispered Jason before he moved away from Kamon.

Jason pulled out a wallet from his back pocket and grabbed a small wad of cash. He set it down in front of the bartender and simply said, "For the trouble. Next round's on me this time."

The bartender simply nodded with his shocked look as Jason walked towards the entrance door of the bar. Kamon pushed himself back to his feet and rubbed the spot where Jason's blade pressed against him as he watched his opponent walk out of the bar. Soon after Jason was no longer inside, the black-haired man ran outside and tried to grab Jason's attention.

"Jason Patton," shouted the tall man. "Wait a second!"

Jason stopped in his tracks and turned around to see the tall man waiting. "If you're a bouncer I don't want any trouble."

The tall man shook his head and walked towards Jason. "I'm no bouncer. My name is Norman Green. You really shouldn't let Kamon get to you like that. Lowering yourself to such a level isn't what a man with your skill does."

Jason recognized the name. He knew that Norman was a five-time tournament winner in the League, in other words a celebrity among Pokemon trainers.

"What happened in the bar goes back a long time between me and that asshole's Boss," said Jason after a brief pause.

Norman sighed heavily as he approached Jason. "It's no mystery who Kamon is involved with, Patton. I may not know what exactly happened to you, but I have been keeping my eye on you since your first big win. I have been a professional trainer for many years and to this day I have never seen such skill as I have seen from you and your Pokemon. Don't let go of that by lowering yourself to Kamon's level. I believe you are better than that, and I would much rather see you across the arena than to find you in the audience. Keep your head in the game and concentrate on nothing else, that way I might see you in the final round."

Jason starred into the eyes of Norman for a moment. He couldn't help but appreciate the trainer's words, for it had been a long time since anyone had given him any kind of helpful advice, for he had spent a lifetime figuring out everything on his own. Norman reminded Jason of what a parent should be like, and he even guessed that Norman was one.

"You'll see me in the final round," said Jason with a weak smile. "Bet on it."

Norman smirked back at Jason and said, "I hope so, Patton. I hope so."

Without another word spoken by either, Jason turned around and walked away, heading for a nearby Pokemon Center for a good night's sleep. Norman watched as Jason walk away. He hoped that Jason would remain true to his word so that they could meet each other once more in the final round.

_"Welcome back to the Indigo Plateau tournament. I'm Leo Barkley and sitting to my right, as always, is Jeff Rogers here with me to witness the semi-finals. We have just come back from an incredible match up between five-time tournament Champion Norman Green and two-time tournament Champion Lawrence Koga with Green the victor on that one._"

_"A very heated match-up, Leo. I'm still in shock at how well Green was able to overcome Koga's winning team of Poison/Psychic-Type Pokemon. It was a very close match and I think it couldn't have been a better sight to see."_

_"I'll have to put your word to the test on that one, Jeff, because we have another great match-up between bad boy Kamon Antonio and Cinnabar Island's finest Jason Patton. This match-up is scheduled for a three on three fight and the winner will move on to face Norman Green in the final round. What can we hope to expect from these two great trainers, Jeff?"_

_"That's a tough call to make, Leo. On one hand we have bad boy Kamon Antonio who's competed in this tournament on six consecutive occasions and knows what to expect from his opponents. But on the other hand we have Jason Patton with his extraordinary team of winning Pokemon with incredible skill. Patton has already proven to us all that his inexperience in the League means nothing compared to his knowledge of Pokemon, but I have a feeling he will have his hands full with Kamon Antonio."_

_"Well at the beginning of the tournament we both speculated that Norman Green and Kamon Antonio would face each other in the final round and that's still a big possibility, but you can't help but wander whether or not Antonio has what it takes to get through Patton and his winning roster. All I can say is I will be very happy to see the final round, no matter who faces Green."_

_"Couldn't agree with you more, Leo. Let's see what these two trainer's are made of."_

_"Alright! Both trainers have made it to their posts and are almost ready to begin. I can't wait to see this match-up. I am very excited!"_

Jason took off his left 'hell-raiser' glove and rubbed his stump of a middle finger. He looked across the stadium field to see Kamon in the distance, preparing himself for the match. Jason's hatred grew by each passing second for Kamon, for he stood for everything Jason had come to loath. Kamon's employer was a man Jason knew all too well, a man so brutally vicious and immoral that took away the one thing Jason yearned for.

Jason began to think of all the times he had spent with his beloved Brooke, about how everything glowed a golden aura when she smiled at him, about how safe and secure he felt when he held her in his arms, and how she seemed to block out all the sorrow within him when he heard her speak. He thought about the tears that fell from her emerald orbs when he told her he had to leave her. Such a sight was one of the worst moments Jason had ever experienced in his life, and nothing he did was able to block out the pain he felt.

Jason shut his eyes tightly and pounded the metal railing of his trainer's post. He had to put aside his pain so that he could concentrate. He had a promise to keep, after all. A promise that he made to the same person he sacrificed so much for, a promise to never let anything keep him from what he could be. He had to be strong, strong enough to face his enemy with his head in the right place. He would not let his past sufferings keep him from achieving his goals any longer, nor would he be intimidated by his old enemies. His resolve strengthened once more, he put the glove back on over his left hand and placed his ear piece in his right ear while grabbing one of the Pokeballs from his utility belt.

Kamon listened to the gargantuan crowd of people in the stadium chanting Jason's first name.

"Jason..."

"Jason..."

"Jason..."

"Jason..."

Kamon's envy boiled his blood. This was supposed to be his time. He was supposed to be the one who won the crowd's favor. His name was supposed to come out of everyone's mouth. Now he heard the crowd call out the name of a newcomer in the League rather than call out his own. He clenched his fists as a skinny man behind him wearing a black business suit placed his hand on Kamon's shoulder.

"I fixed it for you, sir," spoke the thin man as he handed Kamon a small ear piece. "The reception should be a lot more clear this time."

Kamon took the ear piece and fiddled with the small knob where the speaker button would be. "Good work, Butch. Now get away."

Butch nodded his head and climbed down the ladder of Kamon's trainer's post. Kamon placed the ear piece in his left ear and grabbed his Pokeball, ready to begin the match. He released his first Pokemon known as Sneasel, a small weasel Pokemon with dark blue fur and a large red feather over its left ear. Its claws were abnormally large for its paws, and it carried three feathered tails on its backside. Sneasel was considered Kamon's weakest Pokemon due to its small size, but its Ice-Type attacks and Dark-Type abilities were more than a match for its opponents in battle.

Jason released his lightning-fast Electric-Type, Shocker, into the arena. Shocker glared into the eyes of his distant opponent as Sneasel clanked its claws together, trying to intimidate Shocker. Jason took a deep breath before pressing the speaker button on his ear piece, ready to give Shocker his direction.

"Alright, Shocker, listen up. That weasel uses Ice and Dark-Type attacks, but I'll bet green money that it'll want to get in close and use its claws. Do your best to keep close as much as possible so you'll be able to avoid its special attacks."

Kamon twisted the knob on his ear piece and spoke into the microphone. "This guy knows his shit, Sneasel. He's already anticipated your favor over your claws. Make it think you're gonna charge it head on with your claws and then teleport away from it. Confuse this rodent enough for you to get close enough to make it bleed."

Sneasel hissed at Shocker as it ran towards the electric rodent. Shocker waited patiently for the weasel to attack, anticipating that Sneasel's first strike would be a vertical right swing. Shocker slowly bent his body forward as Sneasel leaped high into the air, preparing to execute a counter strike. To Shocker's dismay, Sneasel's body made a sudden drop towards the ground and literally sank itself into the field before the right slice could be executed. Out of pure reflex Shocker performed a back flip away from the spot Sneasel had vanished and searched frantically for his opponent.

Suddenly, Sneasel emerged from the ground behind Shocker and landed an agonizing uppercut slice that pierced the skin on Shocker's back. Shocker winced and performed a quick roundhouse kick but hit nothing but air as Sneasel sank into the grassy field once more. The lack of impact caused Shocker to lose his balance and landed hard on his left side. As Shocker sprung up to his feet Sneasel emerged from the ground several feet away from Shocker, smirking at its opponent as Shocker snarled and charged Sneasel head on.

Sneasel performed a cartwheel flip to the right, evading the flying foot of Shocker. Sneasel responded by leaping towards Shocker with its claws ready to strike. Shocker countered by releasing a wave of electrical currents from his hands at his opponent but hit nothing as Sneasel made a fast getaway with its Dark teleporting ability.

"Dig your tail into the ground so you can keep track of its movements, Shocker," said Jason. "You'll gain some extra momentum with your dodge that way. Counter that weasel and give it a taste of your Thunderbolt."

Kamon twisted the knob of his ear piece once more and said, "Emerge away from it and use your Ice Trail attack. It's using its tail to keep track of your movements but it's waiting for you to attack close. If you emerge from a distance then you'll catch it off guard long enough to freeze it in place."

Shocker dug his tail deep into the arena's surface and balanced himself above the ground, keeping his eyes closed as he sensed Sneasel's movements. After a moment of waiting Sneasel emerged from the ground halfway across the field from Shocker and unleashed a beam of ice from its claws, an attack that formed an ice trail that traveled towards Shocker at blinding speeds.

"Heads up, Shocker," shouted Jason.

Shocker opened his eyes to see an ice trail traveling towards him and quickly used his tail to release himself from the ground. As Shocker remained airborne the ice trail zipped past beneath him, but due to the thickness of the ice Shocker quickly lost his balance after he landed on his feet and fell on his back. Sneasel began running towards Shocker on the ice trail and began dragging its feet from side to side as if it were ice skating. Shocker took quick notice to Sneasel's approach and dug his tail into the ice, pushing himself away from the approaching weasel.

As Shocker continued to slide away from Sneasel's advance, he swung his legs to his right so that he could position his mobile body with his head facing his opponent. Shocker then twisted his body so that he could slide on his stomach and raised his tail in the air. As Sneasel began to spin its body at high speed with its claws outstretched, Shocker charged electrical currents into his cheeks and brought his sliding figure to an abrupt halt as he dug his tail into the ice behind him. With Sneasel unable to see Shocker's sudden stop and Kamon's inability to react in time with direction, Shocker unleashed a devastating Thunderbolt into the ice trail. The Electric attack shattered the ice trail and shocked Sneasel with such force that it sent the weasel flying across the field towards Kamon's trainer's post.

_"What a stunning come back from Patton's Raichu,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"This is the first time anyone's had any real edge on Patton's Pokemon."_

_"This is the kind of thing to expect from Antonio, Leo. We've all seen how well he is able to anticipate his opponent's strategies before, but you have to wander how Kamon could have possibly made the time to study Patton's attacks so well that he could really catch Patton off guard like this. This has already turned into a heated battle for the final round, and we've only witnessed a minute and a half of action so far."_

"Good recovery, Shocker," said Jason as Shocker landed on his feet. "I don't know how this arrogant asshole has been able to keep up with us like this, but we can still beat him. Keep trying to get in close and give that weasel the pounding of its life. Whatever you do, stay mobile. Use your Quick Attacks if you have to so it won't be able to react in time."

"Get up, goddamn it," shouted Kamon as Sneasel slowly stood up to its hind legs. "This guy still wants to get in close. Lure that rat close enough to stop its advance with an Ice Wall and then finish it with your Fury Swipes. Move it!"

Sneasel shook its head from the dazed state it was in as Shocker ran towards the weasel. Sneasel took notice to Shocker's advance and followed Kamon's instruction by gesturing its hands upward, a motion that triggered a rising ice wall three times as tall as the Dark weasel. Shocker was only a few yards away once the ice wall rose from the ground, more than enough time to leap towards the ice with his right foot outstretched. Shocker connected his jump kick with such force that it shattered the ice into hundreds of shards, but to Shocker's surprise Sneasel was not behind the broken ice when he landed on his feet.

To add to Shocker's surprise Sneasel's body rose from the ground behind Shocker. Although Shocker's large ears were able to hear Sneasel's ascent from the ground behind him, allowing him to turn around with incredible haste, Shocker was unable to stop Sneasel from tackling him to the ground. With Sneasel mounted on top of Shocker's stomach, the electric rodent suffered numerous Fury Swipes from Sneasel's deadly claws until Shocker was able to send the weasel a strong Thundershock.

Due to Shocker's outstanding desperation, the Thundershock did little damage but was enough for Sneasel to make a leaping retreat. Once Sneasel landed fifteen feet away from Shocker, the weakened Electric-Type slowly rose to his feet and panted heavily as he starred down the distant weasel. His diagonal wounds on his face and chest pained him immensely, but his determination remained strong as he awaited instruction from his trainer.

Jason frowned with frustration at the situation he found himself in. He had dealt with skilled Pokemon trainers who managed to overcome his Pokemon's ability for however brief a duration, but he also knew Kamon's character traits. Judging from his encounter with Kamon at the bar the other night, Jason speculated that Kamon was arrogant and overconfident, two weaknesses that Jason knew all too well how to deal with. His overconfidence would prove to be his undoing, telling his Pokemon to use all their best abilities at the beginning. But this was different. It was as if Kamon knew almost exactly... what to expect.

Jason grabbed his small pair of binoculars and gazed upon his distant opponent. He could see that Kamon had his hand on his ear piece but spoke no words. He looked as if he were waiting for something. Jason quickly hypothesized that Kamon had been listening in to his transmission in his own ear piece. Such a display of cowardice and disrespect infuriated Jason, but unbeknownst to Kamon Jason had an alternative method of giving instruction.

"Shocker," said Jason. "Fall back for a moment and look at me."

Shocker turned and frowned at Jason peculiar instruction but followed it. He ran quickly towards Jason's trainer's post and awaited Jason's response. Knowing that he had Shocker's full attention, Jason made a series of gestures with his hands near his face, moving his finger tips alongside his chin, nose, eyebrows and ear lobes. He finally ended his gestures by pounding his right fist into his left palm. Shocker's facial expression relaxed a little as he monitored Jason's gestures and nodded at his trainer, acknowledging his instruction.

Kamon gritted his teeth once he realized that Jason was no longer using his headset. "Hurry up and take out that rodent, Sneasel! Whatever it takes don't let it get the drop on you! Rip that rat apart!"

Sneasel ran towards Shocker with its claws behind it, ready to deliver more of its deadly Fury Swipes. Shocker waited calmly for his opponent and tilted his head to the left slightly, as if he were in a state of pure thought. Once Sneasel was within two yards of Shocker it leapt towards the electric rodent and swung its right paw, only to hit nothing but air as Shocker zipped away to the left with such speed that not even a high definition camera could keep up with him, causing Sneasel to fall. Before Sneasel could land on its side, Shocker zipped past the dark weasel from its right side and collided with Sneasel's face, causing Sneasel's body to spin uncontrollably before it eventually landed face first into the grassy arena.

With the wind nearly knocked out of Sneasel, it struggled to stand on its feet. It wobbled its head slightly as Shocker's cheeks sparked with electricity. Dazed from the attack, Sneasel staggered a bit as it raised its claws up in a defensive stance.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Sneasel," shouted Kamon. "Get in the game for Christ's sake! It's about to use an Electric attack of some kind! Stop it from happening!"

Sneasel, with what little strength it had, ran towards Shocker in a blind fury, eager to meet its claws with Shocker's flesh. Shocker waited for Sneasel's attack and dragged his right foot back a ways. When the moment of truth finally presented itself, Sneasel swung its left paw at Shocker only to suffer a massive back flip kick to the chin. The impact of the kick sent Sneasel in the air, allowing Shocker to charge its electric energy at maximum power once he landed on his feet. Suddenly, Shocker sent himself flying towards the weasel at high speed with dozens of electrical currents running along his fur, colliding his shoulder with Sneasel's chest. Sneasel suffered many jolts of high voltage as the two flew through the air across the field until they lost altitude, crashing into the grassy arena grounds.

Shocker quickly leaped away from the unconscious Sneasel and took a deep breath of relief. Jason shouted with victory as he raised his fist into the air, knowing that he once again had the edge over his opponent. Kamon pounded his fist on the railing as he reached for Sneasel's Pokeball and returned his defeated Pokemon.

_"Amazing performance from Patton's Raichu,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"I gotta tell ya, Jeff, Patton had me worried there for a moment."_

_"I guess Patton had to get his pre-match jitters out of the way to win against Antonio's Sneasel. Let's see what the two will send out next."_

Jason returned Shocker back into his Pokeball and reached for another as Kamon released his Feraligator, a seven hundred pound native of the Johto region that reached nine feet in height. It's reptilian scales were shy blue in color and its numerous outgrowths on its back were a dark maroon. The bipedal creature's sharp claws were long and curved, but it was its massive jaws that were to be feared above all else.

Jason released Powerhouse close to his post and shouted the Fighting-Type's name. Powerhouse turned around and monitored Jason's hand gestures. After the seventh hand gesture, Powerhouse nodded at his trainer and turned around to face his opponent, Feraligator. The grey skinned brute pounded his chest two times with his lower arms and stood his ground as Feraligator roared at its distant opponent.

"Don't get close unless your sure you can grab it with your jaws, Feraligator," said Kamon. "In the meantime keep your distance with your Water and Ice attacks. You'll eventually wear it down to where you can finish it with your Crush attack."

Feraligator took a deep breath before releasing a thick stream of water from its jaws. Powerhouse stretched out his four arms and blocked the water stream with his hands. As Feraligator continued the attack, Powerhouse took strained steps forward as he kept the stream at bay. Once Powerhouse was close enough, Feraligator discontinued the attack and landed a strong head butt on Powerhouse's chest, one that forced the Fighting-Type to the ground on his back with Feraligator following close by with its jaws open. Thinking quickly, Powerhouse caught Feraligator's jaws with his hands, gripping his fingers in between the reptile's teeth.

Powerhouse shoved Feraligator's snout upwards slightly, enough for the massive reptile to step back as its jaws were released from Powerhouse's grasp. As Feraligator prepared for another bite, Powerhouse rolled his body to his right and stood up on his feet as Feraligator's teeth met the grassy surface. Feraligator raised its head from the surface and charged for Powerhouse with its mouth wide open. Thinking quickly, Powerhouse dropped down to one knee and landed a solid punch on Feraligator's gut with his lower right arm as the other wrapped around the back of the reptile's neck. Using the beast's momentum against it, Powerhouse lifted Feraligator by its stomach with the hand that connected and flipped the reptile over his head with his upper right arm, smashing Feraligator into the ground.

Powerhouse wasted no time in straddling the scaly beast, holding Feraligator's jaws with his foot as his four fists went to work on the reptile's chest and gut. Feraligator struggled as it suffered numerous body punches from Powerhouse until it managed to slid its jaws away from the Fighting-Type's foot. As Powerhouse began to lose his balance, Feraligator brought Powerhouse to the ground by biting down hard on the Fighting-Type's leg and pulling it towards him. Powerhouse landed face first on the ground as Feraligator stood up to its feet and backed away from its opponent.

"I said don't get close unless you know for sure you can connect," shouted Kamon with fury. "Keep your distance for a while and wear it down with your special attacks!"

Feraligator waited for the right moment to strike as Powerhouse stood up, blood slowly painting his wounded leg. Suddenly, Feraligator spat three ice chunks at Powerhouse, the first two connecting with the fighter's chest while the final chunk landed on his face. The impact of the last ice chunk caused Powerhouse to stagger back a few steps as Feraligator took a deep breath, preparing to use a Water-Type attack. Feraligator then unleashed a small blast of water from its mouth that grew in size and mass the closer it came towards Powerhouse. The Water Pulse had already grew twice the size of its victim when it hit Powerhouse, sending the weakened fighter flying towards Jason's trainer's post until his back slid towards his trainer.

Jason shouted for Powerhouse once more as his Pokemon stood up. Jason's gestures consisted of pounding his left elbow downward onto his right hand, twirling his right index finger in a circle, and ending with two fist pounds into his left palm. Powerhouse, excited to fulfill his trainer's instructions, smirked and nodded before turning around to face his distant opponent.

Suddenly, Feraligator unleashed a stream of ice at its opponent from its giant jaws. With only a few moments to react, Powerhouse ducked and rolled away from the Ice Beam, causing the stream of sky blue light to hit the white colored energy field that protected Jason's trainer's post. Once Powerhouse was able to stand on his feet, he raised his four fists into the air and pounded them into the ground with enough force that it made a large indention into the arena. The impact of the brute▓s fists also caused a mighty crack that traveled towards Feraligator and zipped past the reptile in between its feet. As Feraligator fell to one knee from the shockwave of the Fissure Strike, Powerhouse dove into the indented spot of the arena and used his four muscular arms to dig deeper into the ground.

_"This match is getting way out of control, Jeff,"_ said Leo Barkley._ "The arena is being torn apart from these two brute Pokemon! This is unbelievable! Never in my time as a Pokemon League commentator have I seen such a destructive display!"_

_"I sure don't envy the stadium's arena ground crew the mess they'll have to clean up after this match,"_ responded Jeff Rogers. _"They'll have their hands full, that's for sure."_

"How the hell could you miss a shot like that," spat Kamon. "Now that thing's underground somewhere! Find it and rip it to shreds with your jaws! MOVE IT!"

Feraligator searched frantically for the submerged Fighting-Type, panicked by its lack of sight over its opponent. Although it could feel the many vibrations from the ground, Feraligator could not pinpoint Powerhouse's exact location. For Feraligator it was as if Powerhouse was moving from one end of the arena to the other in mere seconds. Kamon, despite knowing that he had been caught by Jason, listened in to his opponent's radio frequency to see if Jason would give verbal instruction to Powerhouse. Kamon needed the advantage to overcome Jason's superior training methods, a fact that he hated to admit even to himself.

Suddenly, Powerhouse emerged from the ground directly in front of Feraligator and landed a strong uppercut punch on the reptile's chin with his upper left fist, chunks of soil flying high into the air as Powerhouse emerged. Feraligator staggered back a few paces and suffered two left hooks and another uppercut, three blows that knocked Feraligator on its back. Before Feraligator had the chance to get up, Powerhouse grasped on to the reptile's tail and swung the beast over his head, smashing Feraligator into the field before tossing it clear across the arena towards Kamon's post.

"God damn it, Feraligator," shouted Kamon. "Enough is enough! Charge that thing head on and do NOT miss your Crush attack! SHUT IT DOWN!"

The weakened reptile slowly stood up and roared at its distant opponent before running in a blind fury towards Powerhouse. The grey skinned fighter snarled and popped his knuckles before running towards the charging beast. Once Powerhouse was within range, Feraligator opened its jaws and lunged for the fighter, only to be halted by an open palm smack from Powerhouse's lower right hand, followed by a powerful right hook from his upper right fist. Powerhouse continued the combination by connecting the back of both of his right fists with Feraligator's snout, followed by a double left uppercut to the reptile's gut. The last blow forced Feraligator to bend down, allowing Powerhouse to land a rising knee to its chin followed by a spinning double back fist.

Feraligator staggered back a few steps and maintained its balance barely enough to continue standing. As the dazed reptile bobbed its head back and forth, Powerhouse walked towards Feraligator and landed a hard right punch on the beast's gut, forcing it to bend down again. Powerhouse then wrapped his four arms around Feraligator's waist and flipped the Water-Type's back onto his shoulders, leaping high into the air with his grasp over the beast firm. Before Powerhouse was about to descend towards the ground, he threw Feraligator down with enough force to smash the reptile deep into the surface. No movement followed from Feraligator, for it had passed out from the impact. Powerhouse landed safely on his feet and roared as he pounded his chest with pride over his victory.

_"Incredible finish by Patton's Machamp,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"That match was practically stolen by a well placed Seismic Power-Bomb Toss!"_

"Things are really starting to look up for Patton, Leo, but Antonio still has one more Pokemon to send out. I'm betting on his Tyranitar. It's the strongest Pokemon on his roster and it's really the best shot he has at overpowering Patton's winning team.■

Both trainers returned their Pokemon into their Pokeballs. Kamon pounded his fists into the railing of his post, enraged at his failed efforts to beat Jason's Pokemon. Jason lit up a smoke as he waited patiently for his opponent to release his final Pokemon. He predicted that Kamon would send out the towering Dark-Type, Tyranitar, a ten foot tall beast with a variety of deadly abilities. Tyranitar was a Pokemon so powerful could take out his roster if he wasn't careful, and he figured his best bet would be to send out Char.

As he reached for Char's rarely used Pokeball, Jason pressed the speaker button on his headset. "How does it feel, buddy, to not have the control you depend on to win anymore?"

Kamon listened to Jason's words through his ear piece as he reached for his Tyranitar's Pokeball.

"I know you can hear me, asshole, so listen up," continued Jason. "There's nothing you have up your sleeve that I won't be expecting. You are not gonna sleaze your way passed me again. So go ahead and send the best Pokemon you've got, and I'll be sure to show you just what me and my friends are made of. And after I humiliate you by stomping your last fighter into a pulp, you be sure to go back to your shit hole headquarters and tell your Boss that what he took from my hand is the last thing he'll ever take from me."

Kamon gritted his teeth as Jason removed the ear piece and tossed it aside. Kamon was used to being feared by others, and Jason's lack of fear infuriated him to no end. He released his Tyranitar, the ten foot Dark-Type with a rock hard olive-green hide and a robust physique. Jason released his most faithful companion, Char, into the arena and shouted out his name so that the eight foot tall Dragon would turn around. Char monitored Jason's many hand gestures and acknowledged his trainer by nodded his head and giving Jason a 'thumbs up' gesture.

"That thing is a Dragon-Type of some kind, Tyranitar," said Kamon to his Pokemon. "It's got wings that unfold from its back and it has powerful long distance attacks. Your hard skin should be able to absorb any physical damage from that Dragon, so stay close to it and pound it into oblivion! If it unfolds its wings then bring it back down to the ground quickly! I don't care if you have to kill it! Don't let it fly!"

Tyranitar roared at Char as it ran for Jason's faithful Dragon companion. Char waited patiently for the Dark-Type and watched its posture as it charged. Once Char was close enough, Tyranitar pulled its right paw back and prepared for a deadly claw swipe. To Tyranitar's surprise, as well as all who witnessed the match, Char caught the Dark-Type's paw with his left hand and grasped it's throat with his right. Using the beast's momentum, Char tossed Tyranitar over his head and smashed the green beast into the ground. Char then made a leaping retreat using his wings to quickly lift him above the ground and land several paces away from Tyranitar.

Tyranitar stood up to its feet and turned around to face its opponent as Char refolded his wings. It ran towards Char again, this time with its torso bent down so that it could land a Skull Bash attack. Once more Char waited patiently for his opponent to be within range to counter and shoved Tyranitar's head into the ground while performing a leaping front flip with a 180 degree twist so that he could land behind Tyranitar and still face it. Tyranitar's face slid against the grassy surface as Char landed on his feet.

Tyranitar quickly became enraged at Char's effective countering techniques and unleashed a surprise Flamethrower attack. Char quickly crossed his arms in front of him so that he could defend himself from the stream of fire from Tyranitar's mouth. Char seemed unaffected by the intense heat as Tyranitar stepped towards Char, continuing the attack as it came closer to the mighty Dragon. Once Tyranitar was within two feet away it discontinued the Flamethrower attack and followed through with a horizontal swipe from its right paw. Char blocked the attack with his left forearm and pressed his right hand on Tyranitar's chest. What seemed like a pointless attempt turned out to be a powerful Fire-Type attack as a blast of fire from Char's right hand sent Tyranitar flying across the arena until it landed on its back a few feet away from Kamon's post.

_"What a stunning counter attack from Patton's Dragon-Type known only as Char,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"It seems Char was able to absorb Tyranitar's Flamethrower and use the energy it collected to unleash a small Fire Blast attack."_

"It's usually not a good idea to use Fire-Type attacks against Dragons to begin with, Leo, but you also have to take into consideration that Char was once a Fire-Type before it became this newly discovered Dragon-Type. That being said, not only can it use Fire-Type attacks, but it can also absorb heat and use it against its opponent."

"Quit playing around, Tyranitar," said Kamon. "If you have to use Special attacks then start using Ice-Type attacks! It's the only thing that Dragon-Types are weak against. In the meantime stay close and don't let it fly!"

Tyranitar stood up and snarled at its distant enemy as its hands changed in color from olive green to sky blue. Visible humidity rose from its hands due to their low temperatures as Tyranitar ran towards Char once more. Instead of standing his ground, Char began his own charging pursuit and kept his body horizontal, using his neck and tail to keep his balance. With both combatants only a few feet away from each other, Tyranitar pulled its right icy fist back in preparation for a strong right hook. Suddenly, Char lunged for Tyranitar and landed a jump kick on Tyranitar's jaw with enough force to knock the Dark-Type to the ground on its back.

Char landed on his feet with Tyranitar's chest in between, allowing Char the mount. To Tyranitar's dismay, Char landed alternating punches on the beast's face, punches that were strong enough for Tyranitar's rock-hard hide to feel them well enough to flinch. After the seventh punch, Tyranitar threw a claw swipe with its right paw, only to have it blocked by Char's left forearm. Char then gripped at Tyranitar's arm and stepped over the green beast, twisting his body so that he could fall on his back with his legs on top of Tyranitar's chest and throat. The amount of pressure applied to Tyranitar's arm was enough to make the weakened beast roar as it suffered from Char's Arm Bar submission hold.

Out of pure desperation, Tyranitar twisted its torso away from Char and pulled its near broken arm with it, successfully throwing Char into the air once the seasoned Dragon lost his grip. Char performed three front flips as his body was launched from Tyranitar as his opponent stood up holding its weakened arm. Before Char could safely land on his feet, Tyranitar unleashed an Ice Beam from its mouth and hit its target. The Ice Beam hit Char's back and caused him to fall on his stomach.

_"Ouch on that one, Jeff,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"Antonio's Tyranitar escapes Char's submission hold and counters with an Ice Beam."_

_"That attack hit with enough force that it may have damaged Char's wings. If Char can't use his wings then he will have to wear Tyranitar down on the ground, a task that very few Pokemon have the stamina for when fighting a Pokemon with such a rough hide."_

"It's about time, Tyranitar," said Kamon with a smirk. "Hopefully that Ice Beam did enough damage on that thing's wings that it won't be able to fly, but I don't want to take any chances. Keep using your Ice Beam on its back and then finish it with your Giga Impact attack."

Tyranitar unleashed a continuous Ice Beam attack on Char as the Dragon tried hopelessly to get up to his feet. Char gritted his teeth as he suffered the intense cold on his back, trying to focus his heat energy to keep himself as safe as he could be from the Ice Beam as Tyranitar walked towards the weakened Dragon. Knowing that he Char needed instruction, Jason picked up the ear piece he threw down and spoke into the microphone, knowing that Kamon would be listening.

"Char," said Jason. "Focus! You can overpower the Ice Beam. You know what you have to do. Meet that thing head on with what you do best."

Kamon listened to Jason's words but could not determine what Jason meant by what Char did best. Without any inkling of what Jason had in mind, he still had the disadvantage and would have to rely on Tyranitar's Ice-Type abilities to win the match. He knew that if he could defeat Char then he would have the advantage over Jason's other two combatants, Shocker and Powerhouse. Shocker's Electric-Type attacks would prove to be useless against a Rock-Type such as Tyranitar, and though Powerhouse would have enough strength to cause serious damage against Tyranitar's rough hide the Dark-Type would have the advantage with its wide variety of distance Special attacks.

Char squinted his eyes as Tyranitar's Ice Beam grew in intensity the closer it came towards Char. His back was completely covered in thick ice, allowing Char virtually no movement in his wings and shoulders. Tyranitar stopped stepping towards Char once it was within fifteen feet away, a good distance to be to execute the Giga Impact attack with little chance to miss. Suddenly, Char turned and unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth at Tyranitar's Ice Beam, keeping the stream if ice away from Char as the Flamethrower pushed the Ice Beam back towards Tyranitar. The ice evaporated into steam in Tyranitar's mouth, forcing the Dark-Type to choke on the humidity before the Flamethrower reached its target with enough force to bring Tyranitar on its back.

Char stood up to his feet as Tyranitar raised its head to see Char open his wings, shards of thick ice flying from his skin as his wings stretched out. Enraged and desperate to be rid of its opponent, Tyranitar quickly stood up and strained itself as it crossed its arms in front of its chest. Char waited as Tyranitar suddenly began a raging charge towards the Dragon, executing its most powerful attack known as Giga Impact in which the user rushes towards its opponent and tackles with every ounce of energy it has. Kamon waited in anticipation for the attack to collide, knowing that such an attack could not be stopped.

In a surprise move that shocked all that witnessed, Char brought Tyranitar's Giga Impact to an abrupt halt by landing a bone cracking right hook on Tyranitar's jaws that sent the charging behemoth flying to Char's left. Before Tyranitar's body could land, Char ran as fast as his feet could take him towards his airborne opponent and caught Tyranitar with his shoulder as he took immediate flight. Char then flew roughly thirty feet up in the air with Tyranitar's gut resting on Char's shoulder and threw the dazed Dark-Type straight down to the ground. As Tyranitar's body descended, Char opened his jaws and unleashed two small streams of fire onto his hands. He then drew a massive pentacle star shape with the fire and launched it toward the falling Dark-Type. The Fire Blast hit Tyranitar right after the green beast hit the ground, resulting in a blast of fire with the equivalent force of a hand grenade.

With Tyranitar unable to continue the battle, Jason and Char emerged victorious. Jason jumped over the railing of his trainer's post as Char landed on his feet and pounced on his faithful companion, wrapping his arms around Char's neck as he laughed with excitement over their victory.

_"Incredible,"_ shouted Leo Barkley. _"Truly a remarkable display of power, Jeff! Jason Patton is going to the final round to face Norman Green!"_

_"What an upset for Kamon Antonio,"_ said Jeff Rogers. _"We predicted that he would meet Norman Green in the final round this year, but I guess he'll have to wait for another chance next year."_

Kamon returned Tyranitar into its Pokeball as he fell to his knees, baffled and appalled by Char's comeback. He watched as Jason and Char waved at the crowd as they cheered Jason's name. This was supposed to be his time. This was supposed to be his meal ticket to fame and fortune, and Jason took it all away from him with a deadly Fire Blast.

Jason and Char took a moment and gazed upon Kamon's trainer's post. Jason stepped away from Char and whistled at Kamon, trying to gain his attention over the crowd's chanting. Kamon looked up and stood up to his feet as he watched Jason remove the glove from his left hand. Jason then presented what was left of his middle finger in the air, showing Kamon that he still had enough of his middle finger to make the gesture count. All Kamon could do was watch as Jason turned his back on him and walked away with Char.

* * *

A young woman with short brown hair wearing a dark green swoop-neck shirt and blue jeans opened the door to her apartment while carrying a bag of thick books on her shoulder. She gave off an expression of exhaustion, apparently from her long hours at the college campus. This was her fifth and final year at college, and being that she was only a few months away from acquiring her degree in Pokemon Physiology, she knew she had to be on task. Maybe spring break with her friends would help her loosen up her worries.

Suddenly, the young woman was greeted by the open arms of her blonde room mate, Clair. Clair wore a spaghetti strap tank top under a light blue jean jacket and matching shorts, and her bleach blonde hair reached below her shoulders and was worn in a pony tail.

"Hey Brooke," said Clair as she let go of the embrace. "You look tired. Was your last class before spring break hard?"

Brooke rolled her eyes and said, "I have to do a fifteen page report over my break. I was so mad about it I almost yelled at my teacher."

"Well that sucks," said Clair as she took Brooke's book bag from her shoulder. "I might have something to cheer you up, though."

Brooke raised an eyebrow and said, "You didn't set me up with another blind date, did you? The last guy was such an asshole. He had no manners and I ended up paying for the whole date."

Clair giggled and shook her head. "I'll do you one better. My boyfriend won three tickets to see the final rounds of the Indigo Plateau League. There's room for one more if you wanna come and forget about school for a while. The cool thing about these tickets is if the winner of the tournament challenges the Elite Four, we get to stay and watch the matches. So do you wanna come with us?"

"I really should stay here and work on my project, Clair."

"Oh come on, Brooke. You're always stressing so much about school. You make straight A's in all of your classes and there's no way you're gonna fail. They call it spring break for a reason, so loosen up and enjoy your time off. Besides, if you don't come with us then I'm gonna worry about you the whole time and I won't be able to enjoy myself."

Brooke chuckled to herself as she sat down on a recliner chair in front of their television. "I'll be fine, Clair. You have fun with your boyfriend at the games. I'll find something to keep me busy while your gone. I'd end up feeling like a third wheel if I went anyway."

Unable to find a way to convince Brooke to go, Clair sighed and said, "Alright, Brooke. We'll go without you. It's gonna suck without you, but if you don't want to go then you don't have to."

"I'll go with you guys next year, I promise."

Clair grabbed a small remote control from the coffee table near the sofa and turned on the television. Once the screen turned on it displayed the end of a Pokemon match between two combatants in the Indigo Plateau League. Brooke paid no attention to the television screen as she began reading one of her study books while Clair watched as the program announced the winners of the semifinal rounds.

"Aw man," said Clair as she sat down on the sofa. "I wanted to see the semifinal matches. I wander who won?"

_"Incredible,"_ shouted the voice of Leo Barkley. _"Truly a remarkable display of power, Jeff! Jason Patton is going to the final round to face Norman Green!"_

_"What an upset for Kamon Antonio,"_ said Jeff Rogers. _"We predicted that he would meet Norman Green in the final round this year, but I guess he'll have to wait for another chance next year."_

_"Well that concludes the semifinal rounds of the Indigo Plateau. Remember, fans, the final round will be Norman Green against Jason Patton for the Indigo Plateau League Tournament Championship."_

Brooke's eyes widened once she heard the name Jason Patton. She threw her book towards the sofa and rushed over towards the t.v., kneeling down right in front of the screen as she gazed upon Jason and Char.

"Hey Brooke, you do know you're blocking the way, right," asked Clair.

Brooke ignored Clair as she continued to stare into the screen. She expressed utter shock and delight to see her old love once again after four long years of being apart. She brought her fingers to the screen and caressed the spot where Jason's face was, remembering how he touched her. At that moment it was as if time had stopped, allowing her to remember every second they shared together like it happened yesterday. Now, after four years, she had the chance to see him again up close.

The television program switched from the tournament to a commercial. Brooke lowered her head and kept her hand on the screen as she smiled so brightly. Clair stood up from her seat and approached Brooke, worried that she might be upset with something.

"Brooke," said Clair as she placed her hands on Brooke's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Brooke stood up and turned around to face Clair. "When do you leave for the League," she asked with an excited smile.

Clair raised her eyebrows and said, "Uh, in two days. Why?"

"Help me pack up. I'm going with you."

* * *

Jason stood in his locker room alone, starring at himself through a large mirror above a wall mounted sink. He was minutes away from his match against five-time Tournament Champion, Norman Green. In the three days prior to his match day, Jason had studied old videos of Norman's battles. Though Norman was primarily a Normal-Type Pokemon specialist, he also had a vast knowledge of other element types and used a variety of different Pokemon in battle. Throughout his years of competing in the League, Norman rarely used the same roster twice in his battles. He kept his opponents on their toes constantly with his near unpredictable rosters and effective balance style of offensive and defensive techniques.

Jason turned a knob of the sink and cupped his hands underneath the faucet, allowing water to fill up in his hands before he splashed the cool liquid in his face. Though he was confident in himself, he knew he would have to be ready for anything in his upcoming match against Norman. There could be no room for hesitation, no room for underestimating, and no room for error.

Suddenly, Jason heard a knocking on his locker room door before a Pokemon League official, a tall skinny man in a white dress shirt and black slacks, entered the room. "Mr. Patton," said the official. "It's time for your match against Norman Green."

Jason responded by nodding his head at the official. Jason then turned off the faucet and exited the locker room with the official. Jason followed the official through the narrow corridors of the stadium's underbelly. The hallways were very plain in design, consisting large grey brick walls, white tiled flooring and the occasional wooden door along the brick walls. The simple design of the hallways comforted Jason, allowing him to feel more and more confident in himself.

Once Jason and the official made it to the long corridor that lead to the arena entrance, the official gestured towards the hallway for Jason to follow. As the official went elsewhere, Jason gazed upon the long hallway and began to take his first steps towards the final round. Each step seemed like an eternity for Jason, but he took each step with pride and confidence. This was his chance to gain recognition, a chance to be somebody. This was a chance of a lifetime for him, and he knew that he would give all who viewed the match something they have never seen before.

Unbeknownst to Jason, however, none other than Kamon Antonio followed him along the hallway. He kept his distance from Jason, hoping not to alert the Cinnabar native of his presence. His face portrayed numerous expressions, of which included hatred, envy and sadness, but it was the jet black semi-automatic pistol in his right hand that truly portrayed his intensions. With no one nearby, all Kamon would have to do is aim and pull the trigger. Afterwards he would make a run for it and go into hiding while his complete vengeance sunk into his system. It would all be over soon enough.

"Holster that side-arm, Kamon," whispered someone behind Kamon.

Kamon quickly hid his gun under his over shirt and turned around to see the Boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni. The middle-aged mob Boss approached Kamon with a look of warning in his eyes. Kamon alternated between looking at Giovanni and his intended victim, Jason.

"I want him dead," said Kamon. "He took away my dignity. This was supposed to be my time! I want his head on a spike!"

Giovanni grabbed onto Kamon's shirt and said, "His time will come, Kamon. My god, man! It's a wonder security hasn't caught you with that pistol. I need you elsewhere at the moment. Our clone specimen has escaped from captivity."

Kamon frowned at Giovanni and said, "The Mewtwo specimen? How did it get out?"

"That is what I want you to find out. Go back to headquarters and investigate what's left of the specimen's holding pen. Track down its movements and bring it back. Use whatever methods necessary to complete your mission, but I want it back alive and undamaged. Do I make myself clear?"

Kamon starred at Jason as he continued to walk towards the entrance. He wanted Jason dead, but he knew that he had to obey Giovanni's commands. Any attempt to do otherwise might result in his own death. As much as it pained him to abort his plans for revenge, Kamon lowered his head as Giovanni let go of his shirt and acknowledged his Boss by saying, "Yes, sir."

Giovanni nodded at Kamon as the red-haired Rocket operative walked away. He then turned his sights towards Jason and smirked. "Your time will come, Mr. Patton. I guarantee it."

Jason took his first step into the arena to see two figures in the stadium's center. Charles Goodshow, the League's head chairman, stood next to Norman Green holding a wireless microphone in his right hand. The two men waited patiently as Jason walked towards them from across the field.

_"Welcome to the final round of the Indigo Plateau League tournament,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Fans, if you've just tuned in, Norman Green and the League's head chairman, Charles Goodshow, have already made it to the center of the arena and Jason Patton is just now making his way there. Sitting next to me, as always, is Jeff Rogers. Jeff, how would you sum up this year's competition?"_

_"I'll tell ya, Leo. This has been, without a doubt, the most intense few weeks I've been around to witness. In all the years I've been commentating these matches with you, I have never seen such an outstanding display of talent these twenty-four trainers from around the world have shown us. As I said in the beginning rounds of the tournament, welcome to a new era in the Indigo Plateau!"_

_"I couldn't agree with you more. Out of the twenty-four competitors in this year's tournament roster, the two that will stand out more than them all are five-time tournament championship winner, Norman Green, and the remarkable newcomer, Jason Patton. I'd love to talk about this more, but for now, let's go to our head chairman, Charles Goodshow to announce the match."_

Jason approached Norman and Goodshow with determination in his eyes as Goodshow brought the microphone closer to his lips. "Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come at last for the final round of the Indigo Plateau League Tournament!"

Jason kept his sights on Norman as he felt the roar of the stadium's audience. Norman, on the other hand, kept his head low and his eyes shut while taking slow, deep breaths.

"In the fifty years," continued Goodshow to the crowd, "that I have watched this fine organization grow, I have never been more proud to be a part of its success than this very moment. These two gentlemen standing on either side of me are by far the most talented Pokemon trainers ever to compete in the tournament, and it is finally time to make their formal introduction. Standing to my right is a man who is certainly no stranger to our League. He is a native of Petalburg City in the Hoenn region, he is a soon to be City Gym Leader, and he is a five-time Indigo Plateau League Tournament Champion. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you Mr. Norman Green!"

Norman opened his eyes and let a bright smile escape his lips as he raised his hand in the air and waved to the audience that cheered for him. The crowd began chanting his first and last name in a medium paced rhythm to show their favor over the tournament veteran. After a moment of the crowd's chanting, Goodshow continued the announcements while pointing at Jason.

"And standing to my left is a true 'Cinderella Story' if I ever saw one. He is a Kanto region native from Cinnabar Island, he is the reason why the Pokedex invention has become so popular, and he has made the most remarkable debut since Lance Siegfried of the Elite Four. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the most successful newcomer of this organization, Jason Patton!"

To the surprise of the three men in the arena's center, especially that of Jason's, the crowd's roar was greater once Jason's name was announced. It seemed that they had already favored Jason over the five-time tournament champion. The audience's chanting of Jason's first name made the League newcomer slowly gaze upon the stadium crowd around him.

"Gentlemen," began Goodshow to the two combatants. "Your hardships and astonishing skill as trainers have lead you to the final round of our tournament. You both will go down in history as the brave Pokemon trainers who fought valiantly in this grass field. And now it is my greatest honor and privilege to finally say for the fiftieth time in our history, ladies and gentlemen, from the Indigo Plateau Pokemon League Stadium in the region of Kanto, IT'S SHOWTIME!!!"

As the cheering of the crowd grew to such a high level, numerous fireworks of all sizes and colors erupted in the skies above the stadium. Although the fireworks in the skies above were quite the sight to view, both Norman and Jason kept their sights on each other. They both had one thing on their mind: the match.

Goodshow lowered his microphone and stepped in between the two combatants. ⌠Alright, gentlemen. The final round is a six-on-six Pokemon match-up. However, being the you, Mr. Patton, are only in possession of five Pokemon in your roster you have the option of limiting Mr. Green's roster to five. What do you wish to do?"

Jason nodded his head at Norman and said to Goodshow, "I'll leave it up to him."

Norman smirked and said, "I've always believed in the philosophy of a fair fight. I suggest a four-on-four match-up."

Goodshow turned his sights to Jason once more. "Mr. Patton?"

"Good enough for me."

"Alright then," said Goodshow. "It's settled. Remember that in this round a Pokemon can only be recalled once it is no longer able to fight and the match does not stop until one of you has no more Pokemon to send into battle. The final round will begin once you have reached your trainer's posts and have released your first Pokemon into the field. Good luck to the both of you, and may the best man win."

As Goodshow walked elsewhere, Norman extended his right hand towards Jason. The League newcomer returned Norman's gesture of good sportsmanship by shaking Norman's hand before saying, "Told ya that I'd make it to the final round."

Norman smirked and said, "I've been looking forward to seeing you in battle up close, Jason. All that I ask is that you refrain from holding back, because I won't. My sights are set on winning that trophy, and if your goal is the same then show me just how much you want it. We both have come too far to do otherwise."

"I'll give you what you want and plenty more, Norman," replied Jason. "Bet on it."

Norman nodded his head at Jason and turned away. Both men headed for their posts ready for action. The crowd's applause grew louder the closer they were to their posts until they reached their destinations, at which point the audience lowered their cheers and waited for the match to begin.

_"Alright, I have been told that this match is a four-on-four battle,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Both trainers have just made it to their posts and are ready for the match to begin. Jeff, can you even begin to predict the outcome of this match?"_

_"Absolutely not, Leo,"_ responded Jeff Rogers. _"These two trainers are just too evenly matched. Both have high knowledge of Pokemon, although Patton may have a bit more due to his work on the Pokedex. However, Green has experience over Patton being a five-time champion winner. We have seen Patton beat three big hitters in the League, but we have also seen Green win championships. It's all a question as to whether Norman Green's high experience in the League can overcome Patton's knowledge and spectacular training methods."_

_"Well I think that you and I can agree that no matter what the outcome this is going to be one of the most highly anticipated matches of the century. Do you think that the winner will challenge the Elite Four?"_

_"Oh I think so. Norman is on the brink of retiring as a League competitor, and he has come a long way not to make such a challenge if he should win. As for Patton, I believe he is here to really prove something. I couldn't see any reason why he wouldn't challenge the Elite Four if he wins."_

_"Good point there, Jeff. Alright, the final round is about to begin, fans! It's time to see who will emerge as Tournament Champion!"_

Jason squatted down next to the railing of his post, taking deep breaths as he thought about the match. He knew that beating Norman would be no easy task and that his strategies had to be pin-point, for there could be no room for error. After a moment of preparing himself Jason stood up, lit up one of his cigarettes and grabbed a Pokeball from his belt.

Unbeknownst to Jason, a very special someone in his heart whom he once knew four years ago, Brooke, sat in one of the middle rows of the westward side of the stadium with her college friend, Clair, and Clair's tall boyfriend, Joseph. While Clair and Joseph talked to each other about the match to come, Brooke's eyes were glued on Jason. This was the closest she had been to Jason since he was forced to leave her four years ago, and although he was still so distant and had no recollection of her being there, she was so happy to see him once more.

Norman made the first move by releasing his Sceptile, a bipedal Grass-Type that reached five feet in height. It's light green hide was smooth rather than scaly, and its unusually large tail was thick with four rows of dark green outgrowths. It's back consisted of four yellow bulbs, and two round crests rested on the top of its head.

Jason released his powerful Psychic-Type, Espeon, into the arena. Espeon eyed her opponent as Sceptile hissed at her.

_"Alright, let's get this match started,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"Norman Green's Sceptile against Jason Patton"s Espeon."_

_"Patton's gonna have his hands full with this one, Leo. Sceptile is an exceptional striker but its best asset is its speed, something that even a strong Psychic-Type like Espeon may have a hard time keeping up with."_

"Stay mobile with this one, Sceptile," said Norman. "Your skin is resilient to Psychic-Type attacks, but this one is hardly a pushover. Use your agility to avoid its telekinesis and bombard it with hit-and-run tactics."

"This thing is very quick on its feet, Espeon," said Jason. "Dodge and counter its close range attacks as best as you can and you'll eventually wear it down. It'll be expecting you to counter its speed with your Psychic- powers, so don't give it what it wants. Watch its movements and wait for the right moment to strike with your surprise close range attacks."

Sceptile ran towards Espeon with its body bent forward at high speed. Espeon kept her gaze upon her charging opponent as she stood her ground and patiently waited for her opportunity. Once Sceptile was a mere seven feet away from her, Espeon's figure changed into a lavender streak that zipped away from Sceptile to the left. Sceptile's ultra quick reflexes allowed it to slide its feet forward, slowing the Grass-Type's speed to a fast halt. Unfortunately for Sceptile, this left it vulnerable for the lavender streak to collide with Sceptile's face with enough force to knock the green reptile on its belly.

Sceptile sprung up to its feet only to be hit again in the gut head on by Espeon's zipping tackle attack. Espeon bounced off of Sceptile's stomach and then bounced once more off the ground, allowing Espeon to collide herself with the reptile's chin. The blow forced Sceptile into the air but it was able to recover and land on its feet after performing a back flip. Espeon stopped her advance and landed ten feet away from her opponent, waiting for Sceptile's next move. Sceptile performed a spinning acrobatic maneuver in the air towards Espeon with intent on landing its thick tail on her. Espeon pounced to her right side seconds before Sceptile's tail pierced the ground in which she once stood. Though Sceptile's tail was indeed large and bulky, the green reptile was able to lift its tail from the grass and used its momentum to spin frantically towards Espeon with its tail outstretched.

Rather than dodging the upcoming attack, Espeon generated her turquoise colored Barrier and blocked the deadly tail. With Sceptile's attack brought to an abrupt halt, the reptile used this brief pause to its advantage as one of the sharp, leaf-shaped outgrowths from each arm slid its way towards its paws, allowing Sceptile to grip the sharp edges as they disconnected from Sceptile's arms. Sceptile then performed two alternating diagonal slices at Espeon, both of which were dodged by Espeon's agile leaps. Rather than follow through with another slice, Sceptile remembered Norman's instructions and back flipped away from its opponent.

Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise as he witnessed Sceptile's new hand held weapons. He had never seen Norman's Sceptile use such a technique in its previous battles during the Preliminary Rounds. Such an unexpected move so early in the match didn't seem logical to Jason, but at the same time Norman was a five-time Tournament Champion winner. Jason knew he would have to treat this with extra care if he didn't want to get caught off guard.

"Something doesn't smell right about this, Espeon," said Jason. "I think its trying to get you to keep your distance. Stay close and continue to dodge and counter, but this time don't neglect your Psychic-Type attacks. We gotta do what we can to keep this thing off guard."

"Well done, Sceptile," said Norman. "Force the Psychic-Type to back away from you. If it won't cooperate, paralyze it with a stun spore so you can nail it with an Energy Ball. I still want you to use your hit-and-run tactics, but the only way you can defeat this critter is with a well placed Special attack."

Sceptile threw one of the arm blades at Espeon and charged. Espeon used her telekinesis to stop the blade's advance and launched it back at the approaching reptile. Sceptile knocked the flying arm blade away with the one it carried in its right hand and pounced at Espeon. Suddenly, Sceptile's airborne body stopped three feet away from Espeon, leaving Sceptile vulnerable for an attack. Without so much as a blink from Espeon, she used her Psychic-Type power to slam Sceptile on the ground three times before launching the reptile several yards away from her. Sceptile's back slid against the grassy surface ten feet from Norman's post before the reptile's body halted from Espeon's Psychic push.

Norman narrowed his eyes at the sight of Espeon's Psychic power. He had speculated that Jason's Pokemon had exceptional ability, but he personally trained Sceptile to resist telekinesis from Psychic-Type Pokemon.

_"Nice counter from Patton's Espeon,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"Green might be in trouble with this Psychic-Type."_

_"I've never seen Green's Sceptile be telekinetically manhandled like that before, Leo. Patton's Espeon is packing some serious heat. I don't know if Green's Sceptile can get through Espeon's power."_

Sceptile stood up and began its advance on its distant opponent by performing numerous acrobatic leaps towards her. Sceptile need to stay mobile if it wanted to keep from being gripped by Espeon's Psychic power. Espeon ran towards the agile Grass-Type and leaped high into the air above the Grass-Type. Just as Sceptile landed from a twisting front flip it was caught off guard by a Shadow Ball that hit directly in front of the Grass-Type. The blast of the attack caused Sceptile to fall face first as Espeon landed a few feet behind her opponent. This granted Espeon the perfect opportunity to gain another psychic hold on Sceptile. Espeon lifted Sceptile into the air and held it in place as she charged another Shadow Ball from the gem on her forehead. Sceptile flailed about frantically as a large ball of dark purple energy grew larger and larger from Espeon's gem.

"Stun Spore that thing," said Norman. "Quickly!"

Sceptile halted its flailing and waved its arm at Espeon, unleashing a golden, glittery cloud of dust at the Psychic feline. The Stun Spore not only forced Espeon to let go of Sceptile, but also caused the charging Shadow Ball to explode right in her face. The blast of the Shadow Ball sent Espeon flying across the arena until her right side slid against the grassy surface five yards away from Jason's post. Weakened by the blast and paralyzed in many different spots in her body, she struggled desperately to stand on her feet as Sceptile slowly approached its weakened opponent.

_"Oh my,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"That certainly turned the tables for Patton's Espeon. It's gotta be in the verge of passing out by now."_

_"I don't know how much Espeon has left but it looks like Green will be the first to beat one of Jason's Pokemon. The only way Patton's Espeon can recover is if it concentrates on its Psychic power. The problem is that its weakened state may prevent it from doing that."_

Jason cursed at himself for not seeing that Stun Spore coming. "Espeon, I'm gonna leave this up to you. I know you're hurtin' and I won't be disappointed in you if you wanna sit this one out. If that's the case then stay down. You fought a hell of a fight, and no one can take that away from you."

Espeon struggled to her feet, each attempt resulting in another fall. Her reluctance to quit was something Jason admired, but it also pained him to see her hurt. Espeon finally managed to sit on her hind legs and balanced herself up with her right front paw, for the other was highly affected by Sceptile's Stun Spore.

Jason closed his eyes and sighed. "Damn it, Espeon, if you wanna stay that badly then be careful. You'll have to concentrate on your Psychic power to not only attack but to move yourself away from danger. Use your Psybeams if that thing is within a good range and use your multiple Shadow Balls to wear it down."

"Finish it quickly, Sceptile," said Norman. "A good Energy Ball should knock it out. That little critter's gotta be ready to fall over after that blast."

Sceptile fell to its right knee and placed its hands on the ground. Within seconds Sceptile's body glowed a feint yellow aura as the grass below him began to turn a dark brown color. Once Sceptile had enough energy from the grass and soil below, it stood up and stretched out its arms.

"Heads up, Espeon," shouted Jason. "It's about to use an Energy Ball! You can stop it from hitting you if you concentrate!"

The aura that surrounded its body suddenly began to travel to its hands and formed a bright yellow ball of energy in each hand. Sceptile then brought its hands closer together and merged the two Energy Balls into one large ball of yellow light. Without hesitation, Sceptile pushed the Energy ball away from it, sending the yellow mass flying towards Espeon at high speed. Unable to move due to her paralysis, Espeon stood her ground as the Energy Ball flew closer and closer to her.

Suddenly when the Energy Ball was only a few feet away from Espeon, it stopped. The Energy Ball levitated in place for a few moments before it flew back towards Sceptile faster than before. Sceptile made a desperate leap to the right but was unable to dodge the Energy Ball in time as its legs and tail were hit. The collision caused an explosion that sent Sceptile flipping in the air until it landed on its back several yards away from the blast.

_"My goodness," _said Leo Barkley. _"That was incredible! Espeon sent the Energy Ball to its source!"_

_"Even I didn't See that one coming,"_ responded Jeff Rogers. _"I guess Patton's Espeon has a lot more fight left in it that we thought!"_

Sceptile slowly pushed itself up to its feet and shook its head, trying to recover from the attack. Suddenly, Sceptile was forced back down to the ground once more by an aerial beam of brightly multi-colored energy from a levitating Espeon. As her body floated closer to her opponent she unleashed another Psybeam from the gem on her forehead, of which hit the ground in right front of Sceptile and caused a small blast of energy that sent Sceptile high into the air.

Just as Sceptile began its descent, its body stopped and levitated in the air close to Espeon. Seconds later Sceptile's body was sent crashing into the ground five times and was finally bombarded with numerous Shadow Balls from Espeon. The blasts of the Shadow Balls emitted large dust clouds that covered Sceptile's unconscious body. Espeon slowly levitated back towards Jason's post as the dust cleared and Sceptile was declared unable to continue.

_"And that's it,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Patton's Espeon makes a remarkable comeback and defeats Green's Sceptile!"_

_"Patton's Pokemon never stop to impress me, Leo. That was probably the most amazing display of Psychic power I have ever seen. But is it strong enough to handle another opponent? We'll find out once Green sends in his next Pokemon."_

"Nice finish, Espeon," said Jason as Espeon landed near his post. "But you shouldn't have gone all out like that. You know better. How are you going to defend yourself against the next Pokemon in the shape you're in? Use what time you have to recover so that you can stand a chance."

Meanwhile in the stadium audience, Brooke starred at Jason and Espeon in awe over what had just happened. She speculated that Espeon had to be the pet Eevee she gave to Jason before he left her. Even though she knew that Jason would keep his promise, she never thought he would do so at such a high level. She sat at the edge of her seat and waited for the match to continue, amazed beyond belief and proud of Jason and his Pokemon for what they had become.

Norman recalled Sceptile and reached for another Pokeball, allowing Jason's Espeon little time for recovery. His next Pokemon was the Water/Ground-Type Pokemon, Swampert. Swampert was a bulky creature that stood on all fours and was roughly the same size as an average Arcanine. The two dark grey head crests were large in size and resembled the fins of a fish rather than a bony crest, and the same applied for its vertical tail that reached at least five feet in height. Dark orange padding on its knees, elbows and cheeks added character to its smooth, dark blue hide. Its eyes were large and binocular like a predator, and two long spikes grew from the creature's cheeks.

_"Norman Green sends out his Swampert to the arena,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"A bit of an unusual choice for Green to send against a Psychic-Type, wouldn't you think, Jeff?"_

_"Well I don't think Espeon has enough energy to withstand or even counter Swampert's powerful Water and Ground attacks. Psychics tend to have the advantage over Ground-Types but Espeon became heavily weakened by Green's Sceptile. Green must be thinking of getting Espeon beaten quickly so that he can better prepare himself for Patton's other Pokemon."_

"Take out that Espeon quickly, Swampert," ordered Norman. "It should be on the brink of defeat but it also has a knack for surprising its opponents. Keep your distance and distract it with some strong Water attacks, a Bubble Beam for instance. It may defend against the attack, so when you find an opening use an Earthquake stomp to take it down for the count."

"I think he's trying to beat you with raw power, Espeon," said Jason. "You should be able to defend against its Water attacks but I'm waiting on it to use a Ground-Type attack. If that happens then don't try to stop or counter it, just get out of the way as quick as you can. You're gonna have to play defensive for now until you have a chance to recover your energy."

Swampert stomped its front left paw and opened its mouth to unleash a stream of brightly colored bubbles of many sizes traveling towards Espeon with haste. Espeon squinted her eyes and generated a thin barrier in front of her in time for the Bubble Beam to connect with the energy wall. The force of the Bubble Beam caused Espeon to strain as her barrier began to fade slightly. With each passing second Espeon's barrier faded away, allowing some of the smaller bubbles to collide with her chest and shoulders. Each bubble that hit her felt as if she had been hit by a brick that had been thrown at her. Unable to defend against Swampert's attack any longer, Espeon's barrier disappeared entirely as she suffered the continuous attack of Swampert's Bubble Beam. Espeon was knocked down on her back from the dozens of bubbles that hit her.

Swampert halted its Bubble Beam attack to see what had become of Espeon. The lavender furred Psychic-Type, despite the great amount of damage she took, struggled to stand on her paws. Although she on her gut a few times, she managed to stand up and starred into the distant eyes of her opponent. Swampert slowly stepped towards her direction with caution, hoping to keep from being caught off guard from Espeon.

Suddenly, Swampert's eyesight darkened as if all light had disappeared. As Swampert staggered about the arena from Espeon's Nightshade attack, the small Psychic-Type charged a Shadow Ball from the gem on her head. By the time Swampert's vision had returned, Espeon's Shadow Ball had grown to about half the size of her watery opponent. The Shadow Ball then flew towards Swampert with such speed that it was unable to leap away to safety. The Shadow Ball hit Swampert's chest, and the blast of the attack sent the Water-Type several feet away until it landed on its back.

Espeon sighed and took heavy breaths, hoping to recover her stamina before Swampert could get back up. Unfortunately for her, Swampert quickly stood up on its feet and roared at Espeon as it raised its front and rear left legs above the ground. Swampert then followed through with a mighty ground stomp, one that cracked the grassy surface of the arena. Suddenly, after a quick shake in the ground below her, Espeon's body was launched high into the air as segments of the ground below her rose to great heights.

Espeon landed a good fifteen feet away from the rocky mass that rose from the ground. Refusing to take any more chances, Swampert unleashed a stream of high pressured water from its mouth that hit Espeon with enough force for her body to bounce off the rocky mass behind her. No movement came from Espeon once she landed, other than the slow rhythmic breaths from her chest. Espeon had lost consciousness from the attack and was unable to continue the battle.

Jason lowered his head and sighed at the sight of Espeon losing for the first time in over a year. Though he hated to see his Pokemon lose, he was also a bit relieved that she could no longer continue the match. The one thing he hated more than to see his Pokemon lose was to see his Pokemon hurt. He returned Espeon back into her Pokeball and kissed it before attaching it on his utility belt.

_"Patton's Espeon loses to Green's Swampert,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"This is the first time we've seen any of Patton's Pokemon lose a match, but it took two of Green's Pokemon to do it."_

_"It's a wonder Patton's Espeon was able to continue the fight as long as it did, Leo. But now Patton has a chance to send in another Pokemon into the arena, one that's fresh and ready to do business. Let's see who Patton will send out next!"_

Jason grabbed the Pokeball that contained Powerhouse and released the Fighting-Type into the arena. Jason knew that Powerhouse would be his best bet, for Shocker's Electric-Type attacks would do little against Swampert's skin. Lapras did well against other Water-Types, and even better against Ground-Types, but he needed speed as well as power against Swampert. Lapras's fairly predictable ice trails would not suit well against Swampert's ground shaking attacks. As for Char, Jason needed him fresh for whatever awaited him at the end of the match.

"Alright, Powerhouse," said Jason. "You need to make sure this thing can't keep a healthy distance from you. It will bombard you with Water and Ground attacks if you let it. Get in close and wear it down with close-ranged strikes and counters."

"You're not quick enough to dodge or counter its four fists, Swampert," said Norman. "Keep it at bay with a series of Water Guns and Bubble Beams as best as you can and wait to use your Earthquake stomp as a last result. If it gets too close for comfort then lob a Mud Shot at it. It's a good attack that lowers the opponent's speed."

Powerhouse thrusted his upper right fist into a chunk of elevated soil that had risen from Swampert's Earthquake Stomp and used his other three hands to split the rocky mass into two. The top segment that Powerhouse had split was taller and much wider than him, but that didn't stop him from tossing the rocky mass with his incredible strength at his distant opponent. Although the segment of rock and soil flew towards Swampert at surprisingly high speed, the bulky Water-Type was able to pounce to its left in time to avoid getting hit. Unfortunately for Swampert, Powerhouse used this distraction to begin his running pursuit.

Swampert took notice to Powerhouse's charge and unleashed its Bubble Beam attack from its mouth. Powerhouse took immediate action by slowing down his pace and raised his four arms over his face and chest. The dozens of bubbles collided with Powerhouse's muscular arms at high velocity but were unable to keep the four-armed behemoth from continuing his advance. Once Powerhouse was within ten feet away from his opponent, he ducked under the flurry of bubbles from Swampert and made a low leap towards the amphibious beast. Powerhouse tackled Swampert to the ground, forcing Swampert's back to land hard on the grass arena as Powerhouse quickly crawled on the Water-Type and mounted the beast.

Powerhouse pressed his legs and his lower hands against each of Swampert's appendages to prevent movement as he pounded away at the Water-Type's face and chest with his upper arms until Swampert unleashed a sudden stream of high pressured water from its mouth. The strength of the water attack was enough to force Powerhouse to roll backwards off of Swampert and allowed the Water-Type to stand on its feet. Unfortunately for Swampert, the water attack did little damage to Powerhouse. This was illustrated by the Fighting-Type as he lunged at Swampert and landed numerous punches at its cheeks, shoulders and chest.

Though each punch sustained heavy damage, Swampert was able to find an opening in Powerhouse's fury big enough for a quick Water Gun attack that hit Powerhouse's gut. The attack did little damage but created a distraction good enough for Swampert to ram into Powerhouse with its massive head. Swampert's head butt knocked Powerhouse down on his back, and Swampert took this opportunity to use one of its signature attacks, the speed lowering Mud Shot.

As Powerhouse began to stand up, Swampert fired a stream of dark blue colored water from its mouth that hit the ground in front of Powerhouse. The stream of dark water caused the ground it hit to moisten quickly into black mud, of which was sprayed onto Powerhouse's torso and arms. The muck that covered Powerhouse's arms and chest was very thick and began to increase in weight. What made matters worse was that it also dried quickly, making it very difficult to remove. As Powerhouse tried to scratch and wipe away the mud, Swampert grabbed the Fighting-Type's right shoulders with its jaws and slammed him face first into the ground only to lift him up again and fling him several feet away.

Powerhouse struggled to stand up to his feet, for the dried up mud that covered his skin prohibited most of his movement. The mud had added much weight to his body, making it very difficult to move with any haste. This disadvantage prohibited him from evading a head-on collision from Swampert's head crests, a Skull Bash attack that sent Powerhouse tumbling towards Jason's post. Swampert roared at its distant opponent with victory as Powerhouse rolled over to his side holding his chest and gut with his four arms.

_"Ouch on that one, Jeff,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Things are not looking good for Patton at the moment."_

_"Green is taking no chances with Patton. He knows that there can be no room for error against a trainer like Patton, and he's more than illustrated that with stat lowering attacks like Swampert's Mud Shot. You've gotta wonder how much strength is left in Patton's Machamp after that Skull Bash."_

"I know you're hurtin' right now, Powerhouse," said Jason, "but you've still got a winning chance. The mud's gotta be completely dry by now. If you can flex your body enough you might be able to crack the mud. You've still got time!"

"No Pokemon has been able to recover well after your Mud Shots, Swampert," said Norman. "Get in close and finish it with another Skull Bash. If that doesn't do the trick then grab it and thrash it around with your jaws until it passes out. Keep your wits up, though. We don't want to get caught off guard."

Swampert made a running charge towards Powerhouse with it's head lowered for another Skull Bash. As Swampert's head crests drew nearer, Powerhouse rose to his knees and took a deep breath. After the large inhale, Powerhouse strained his arm and chest muscles to flex, causing the dried up mud to crack inch by inch. With Swampert only ten feet away, Powerhouse roared and flexed his muscles enough to make the mud crack and shatter away from his skin. Quickly taking notice to Swampert's charge, Powerhouse extended all four arms out in front of him and caught Swampert by it's head crests, halting its charge and leaving it open for Powerhouse to lift it over his head and slam it into the ground behind him.

Powerhouse performed a leaping back flip and landed his knees on Swampert's gut. The Water-Type's grunt was interrupted by several punches delivered to its jaw, each feeling like having a head sized rock being thrown at high speed. After the seventh hit, Powerhouse grabbed hold of Swampert's head crests again and held on to them as he performed a front hand spring, using his momentum to fling Swampert over his head. The Water-Type flipped in the air three times before its chin skidded across the field.

Powerhouse shouted at the top of his lungs and pounded his chest with his two lower fists, satisfied with his actions. He brought his victory cry to a halt when he took notice to Swampert standing up and beginning another running charge. Powerhouse rose his four fists high into the air, only to bring them back down in a thunderous pound on the ground. The attack caused a great crack to travel towards Swampert at an incredible rate, causing one side of the crack to lower and the other to rise. The crack traveled past Swampert in between its legs, causing Swampert to quickly lose balance and tumble to the ground.

Powerhouse used this distraction to his advantage as fire engulfed his four fists. He drew the shape of an enormous stick figure of fire and landed a four-opened-palm smack at its center, sending the Fire Blast towards Swampert. Unable to recover in time, Swampert suffered the giant blast of the Fire-Type attack and was rendered unconscious as its body flew high into the air. Seconds after Swampert landed on its stomach it was declared unable to continue, enabling Powerhouse as the victor.

_"What an amazing comeback from Patton's Machamp,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"That puts Patton in the lead, leaving Green with only two more chances."_

_"Green's still got a chance to recover if he can take out Patton's Machamp, but he's gonna seriously have his hands full if Patton sends out his ultra-rare Dragon-Type, Char. He needs to either send out a strong Psychic-Type to overpower the Machamp's fists at a distance, or he needs a highly skilled Fighting-Type to fight fire with fire."_

"Nice shot, Powerhouse," shouted Jason. "That was beautiful! Take a second to breathe. You've got another opponent to face."

Powerhouse dropped to one knee and held onto his right shoulder injury. It wasn't bleeding enough to be considered fatal, but the force of Swampert's jaws was enough to dislocate it. Powerhouse grabbed the wrists of his two right hands with his lefts and pulled hard enough to relocate the bones back to their joints. Although this caused great pain for Powerhouse, he simply winced slightly and stood back up to his feet.

Norman shook his head in utter amazement at Powerhouse as he recalled the fallen Swampert and sent out the fiery Fighting-Type, Blaziken. The feathers that covered Blaziken's skin as well as it's bird-like physique were the only contributors to why this creature was classified as a bird species. In truth, Blaziken was a deadly Fighting-Type and Fire-Type combination with long, slender but strong appendages. The white feathers on its head were long and slicked back, and short bushy feathers covered the creature's torso, arms and legs with the exception of the white feathered mane on its neck, shoulders and chest. It's tail was short but with long red feathers, and its skin, of which could be seen on its wrists, hands and feet, was pitch black and toned.

Powerhouse starred deep into the distant red eyes of Blaziken as he rolled his shoulders and popped his neck, ignoring the pain in his right shoulders as best as he could so he wouldn't portray a weakness. Blaziken slowly raised its right knee up towards its chest and brought its long fingered fists towards its face. The sight of Blaziken's large curved claws on its fingers and toes was enough of a reminder for Powerhouse to proceed with high caution.

"You'll need to be on high guard with this one, Blaziken," said Norman. "Get in close and over power the Machamp"s four fists with your fast foot work but don't neglect your Fire attacks. Use your elbow strikes and flying knees and you'll wear it down."

"Alright, Powerhouse, this is your time," said Jason with a confident smirk. "Blaziken's have a tendency to get overconfident sometimes, so cater to its ego a little and punish it with a good counter once you have an opening. Watch out for those elbows, though. They can be just as bad as its kicks."

Blaziken began dancing its feet back and forth as Powerhouse made his slow approach towards the flightless bird. Once Powerhouse came within ten feet of Blaziken, the Fire-Type shrieked and performed a leaping side kick. Powerhouse blocked the attack by catching Blaziken's foot with his upper right palm and shoved it away, forcing Blaziken to perform a quick back hand spring to recover. Powerhouse began his attack by throwing a left hook, but the attack was blocked by Blaziken's right foot. The Fire-Type then followed through with a kick to the face followed by a left roundhouse kick, one that sent Powerhouse spinning in the air.

Powerhouse landed hard on his back but was able to take quick notice to an axe kick as Blaziken swung its right leg high above its head. Powerhouse rolled to his left out of the way, avoiding Blaziken's foot from stomping his chest. As Blaziken's sharp claws punctured the earth below, Powerhouse pounced for the distracted Fire-Type and tackled it to the ground. He then quickly straddled the Fire-Type and pounded away at Blaziken's chest and face with a consistent flow with all four arms. In a surprise move after the twelfth hit, Blaziken spewed a stream of fire from its yellow beak. The attack did little damage but was enough to halt Powerhouse's frenzied fists, allowing enough time for the flightless bird to wrap its large feet around the four-armed Fighting-Type's neck.

Powerhouse used his two upper arms to grip at Blaziken's feet while the lower arms tangled with the arms of Blaziken. The bird illustrated incredible strength wrestling with all four arms of Powerhouse, preventing the fighter from breathing by keeping a strong grip around his neck while keeping his lower arms at bay by digging it's claws into Powerhouse's forearms, keeping them from striking Blaziken's face. The bird used this to its advantage by unleashing a stronger stream of fire from its beak, burning at Powerhouse's exposed face and chest.

"Come on, Powerhouse," shouted Jason before pressing the microphone button on his earpiece. "Stop that bird from using that Flamethrower! Focus, buddy, you can do it!"

Despite the large amount of fire being spewed at him, Powerhouse heard and followed his trainer's instruction and moved his left knee towards Blaziken's face, holding the bird's left cheek planted into the ground. This distraction proved valuable when Blaziken lost its foot grip over Powerhouse's throat, allowing him to swing Blaziken over his head and toss it several feet away. Powerhouse then quickly stood up, shouted with victory and pounded his chest as Blaziken tumbled about the arena.

"It's alright, Blaziken," said Norman as Blaziken stood up to its feet. "You did all you could to submit that brute. Avoid submission holds as best you can and try to focus on your strikes and surprise Fire attacks."

"Awesome recovery, Powerhouse," exclaimed Jason. "Alright now, relax your muscles for a second so your burn can heal a little better. Do your best to not let that burn get to you. Just relax and stay focused, you're kickin' ass. You've made your point in being a better submitter, but try to get into more of them. That bird will concentrate on its strikes better than it will with submission holds, so your best bet is either putting it to sleep or forcing it to tap out."

Powerhouse held onto his right shoulders once more as the distant Blaziken sprung up to its feet, not appearing to have taken much damage from the toss. The bird's excellent long ranged vision allowed it to witness Powerhouse cringing as the grey-skinned brute held onto his wounded shoulders. Powerhouse took notice to Blaziken's stare and ran towards the bird, causing the ground to shake a bit with each step. Blaziken awaited Powerhouse's attack as it stood its ground.

Once Powerhouse was within five feet away, Blaziken made a sudden leap above the four-armed brute and landed its feet on his right shoulder. The bird then bounced into a front flip with a half twist, allowing it to face Powerhouse as he fell face first into the grass. This distraction allowed Blaziken enough time to pounce towards Powerhouse and dig its hind claws into his right shoulder, causing the weakened brute to shout at the searing pain as blood oozed from his new wounds.

Though he was hurt, Powerhouse mustered enough strength to quickly roll his body over and grab Blaziken's foot, forcing the Fire-Type to stumble as its opponent applied a minor ankle submission hold. Though the hold was enough to make Blaziken shriek at the pain it felt in its ankle, Powerhouse executed the submission hold out of desperation. This was illustrated by Blaziken's free foot pounding away at Powerhouse's shoulder until the brute finally let go and rolled away from the Fire-Type.

Jason watched as Powerhouse continued to cringe and strain as he held on to his hurt shoulders. "Shit," he said to himself. "He's hurtin'."

"I believe you have just found an effective weakness," said Norman. "Mix it up a little, though. Land as many kicks on that shoulder but attack other areas as well. You don't want it to catch a kick that it's become familiar with because it will counter with a submission in the blink of an eye. Plan out your strikes well and you'll own the fight."

"He knows you're hurt, Powerhouse, and now I do," said Jason with a hint of annoyance in his tone. "You should've told me about your shoulders before Norman sent out that Blaziken. You know better."

That last remark made Powerhouse lower his head in shame. Though he was quite a distance away from Powerhouse, Jason took notice and took a deep breath and relaxed his voice as he spoke.

"Look, don't worry about it. I'm not mad at you. Listen up, that bird's gonna be aiming for your right shoulders, but it won't concentrate on that area alone. Norman's not that stupid. Keep your eyes forward and block those kicks as best as you can. Try to wait until it goes for your shoulders before countering with a submission hold. It'll loose its focus and you'll be able to apply the hold much more effectively this time. Now get to it and be careful."

Powerhouse's lowered gaze rose up to Blaziken with determination in his dark orbs. As Blaziken began its walking advance on the four-armed brute, Powerhouse took one step forward with his left foot and raised his arms towards him. His lower arms were close together and in front of his chest, while his upper arms were further apart from each other and were raised up to head level.

Blaziken halted its footsteps and raised its left knee before executing a front flip with its right foot outstretched. Though the kick was swift, Powerhouse managed to catch the descending leg with his right hands and shoved them away before following through with a spinning double back fist. The two fists collided with Blaziken's back and neck, sending the flightless bird crashing beak first into the ground. Blaziken twirled its body as it sprung up to its feet, looking at Powerhouse with surprise and frustration in its yellow eyes.

Powerhouse stood in his fighter's stance and awaited Blaziken to make its next move. The Fire-Type danced its feet back and forth as it stalked its opponent, slowly coming closer as it tried to read Powerhouse's body language. Powerhouse took a quick step and grunted at Blaziken, bluffing his attack in order to provoke the flightless bird. Blaziken responded by performing a charging side kick, one that Powerhouse was able to avoid by stepping to his right which allowed him to follow through with a double right hook. The blows once again sent Blaziken tumbling to the ground due to Powerhouse's incredible strength.

Powerhouse held on to his right shoulders again as he strained from his aching. Blaziken sprung up to its feet and glared at Powerhouse with raw intensity in its eyes, a look that Powerhouse soon returned as he stood back in his stance. Blaziken ran towards him and performed a swinging left high kick, of which was blocked by Powerhouse's right hands. Before Blaziken landed, however, it quickly swung its lower leg at Powerhouse's right knee. This distraction was enough for Blaziken to land a four hit punching combo beginning with its left fist and ending with a right hook to the brute's damaged shoulder.

Though the final blow pained him greatly, Powerhouse followed through by swinging his left fists at Blaziken. Unfortunately the bird was able to duck underneath the two left hooks, allowing Blaziken to perform a front hand spring and collide its massive feet on Powerhouse's back. Blaziken sprung back up to its feet as Powerhouse staggered a few steps away. Confident with its progress, Blaziken charged forward and leaped in the air to execute a deadly jumping side kick. To the bird's dismay, however, Powerhouse quickly turned around to his right and shoved Blaziken's approaching foot away with the backs of his right forearms, allowing him to follow through with a punishing double left hook that sent Blaziken half-way across the field.

_"What an outstanding comeback for Patton's Machamp,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"This match-up gets better with each passing second! It seems this Machamp still has plenty of fight left!"_

_"No doubt about it, Leo,"_ responded Jeff Rogers. _"But one thing you have to keep in mind is that Machamp's right shoulder is damaged from the previous fight. Swampert's jaws made a lasting impression on Machamp, and that will limit some of its movement. What Blaziken's gotta do is find a way to catch Machamp off guard so it can get in there and concentrate on the fighter's shoulder."_

_"Blaziken's gonna have its hands full with this one, Jeff. It would take something pretty big for Patton's Machamp to let its guard down."_

"That's what I'm talkin' about, Powerhouse," exclaimed Jason. "You are kickin' some serious bird ass, brother! Keep at it and wear it down with your counter strikes but be on the lookout for that submission hold. We need it to finish this fight. It's your time, Powerhouse! Make it happen!"

Norman shook his head in shock as Blaziken slowly stood up. He felt in over his head with Jason's furious companions. He honestly had doubts about his victory over Jason Patton, for his Pokemon were remarkably strong. It had been years since anyone had been able to back him into a corner like this.

"Alright, Blaziken," began Norman. "It's time to end this. Show that brute what you're made of by performing your Fire Spin attack. Get a good running start and hit it hard enough for it to lose balance and get in close. Target its shoulder and bring it down for the count."

Blaziken closed its eyes and slowly lifted its left knee upwards as its fists were brought up towards its temples. As it stood there, balancing itself with one leg and remaining completely still, both of its legs became engulfed in fire. Seconds later, Blaziken began charging towards Powerhouse while performing a serious of random flips. Powerhouse waited patiently for Blaziken as he watched its movements carefully, looking for any possible openings in its pursuit.

After the seventh acrobatic leap, Blaziken pounced a great distance while performing a continuous windmill kick at blinding speeds. Each swing of its legs left behind a stream of fire that followed a continuous circular stream, growing larger with each zipping stream that converts. This in turn produced a whirling tornado of fire that trapped and surrounded Powerhouse. Powerhouse grew raged with frustration as random streaks would break away and burn him, unable to keep up with each passing streak's velocity.

Suddenly, the blazing tornado vanished with Blaziken falling right for Powerhouse's right side feet first.

"Watch out," shouted Jason.

It was too late. Blaziken had Powerhouse right where it wanted. The bird wrapped its legs and arms around Powerhouse's right arms and used its momentum to twist its body, pulling Powerhouse's right shoulders out of alignment and flipping him onto his back. Blaziken unwrapped itself from the injured brute's arms and sprung up to its feet, backing away to confirm the victory. To Blaziken's dismay, Powerhouse struggled slowly up to his feet, grunting and even shouting at the pain in his dislocated shoulders as they hung low towards the ground. Blaziken monitored Powerhouse frantic shaking as he breathed and groaned, finding it hard to accept that he refused to yield.

Jason starred deep into the traumatic scene with shock and remorse in his eyes. He felt guilty for not being quick enough to warn his strong companion and couldn't bear to see him hurt like this. Norman slowly closed his eyes, frustrated and somewhat saddened that Blaziken had not yet been able to make the final blow. It did not seem right for them to continue the fight, for everyone knew right then and there that Blaziken would emerge victorious.

Even Blaziken didn't want to continue as it stood there shaking its head at Powerhouse, silently urging him not to attack. Powerhouse fed Blaziken no such satisfaction as he began a running charge and swung his two left fists at the flightless bird. Blaziken blocked the attack with its right forearm and knee and followed through with a strong front kick with the same leg, colliding its foot with Powerhouse's gut. The four-armed brute fell to one knee and suffered a vicious left leg kick to the face, forcing him down to the ground once more.

Blaziken quickly backed away and kept close watch over Powerhouse, hoping that he would not get back up. Unfortunately for Blaziken, Powerhouse proved to be too stubborn to quit that easily as he slowly began to stand up again. Jason shook his head and pressed the button on his earpiece, believing that the match needed to end immediately.

"That's enough, Powerhouse," said Jason. "You've done all you can. Nobody can take that away from you. Take the fall."

Powerhouse grunted as he ignored Jason's instruction, standing up straight as best as he could while starring Blaziken dead in the eyes. Once more the Fire-Type shook its head at Powerhouse, this time with more concern expressed. Powerhouse shouted as he attacked, this time throwing his left fists one at a time towards Blaziken's head and chest. Blaziken found little difficulty in blocking Powerhouse's weakened strikes before Powerhouse attempted a high right leg kick. Blaziken countered the kick by pushing aside Powerhouse's foot and followed through with a spinning roundhouse kick, one that collided with the brute's chest and forced him to stagger back, but not fall.

Blaziken slowly raised its right knee as Powerhouse stood his ground, exhausted from such heavy damaged sustained. After a moment of heavy breathing, Powerhouse gave Blaziken a mocking look and gestured the bird to advance. Blaziken closed its eyes and prepared to execute a charging jump kick.

"No Powerhouse, NO!" shouted Jason with plea in his voice as Blaziken executed the jump kick, connecting with Powerhouse's chest and knocking him down on his back. Jason pounded the railing in front of him with his fists, fed up with seeing his companion take this kind of beating. Blaziken slowly backed away and hoped that he would not get back, but once more the relentless Fighting-Type slowly stood up again.

"God damn it, Powerhouse" shouted Jason. "I said take the fall! There's nothing more you can do. You gave it your best shot, and that is exactly what I trained you to do. Let someone else handle that thing now. You'll get your chance to use your strength again, but for now I want you to take the fall so you can rest and get back into good shape."

Powerhouse stood in a state of daze as his body swayed back and forth slightly, but all the while he kept his eyes on Blaziken. The Fire-Type made no effort to pursuit Powerhouse and simply starred and waited, hoping that Powerhouse would finally pass out.

_"My God,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"This is beginning to become difficult to watch, Jeff. I think someone should stop the fight."_

_"Absolutely, Leo. If you can see on the camera pointing at Patton you can see how upset he is over this. It's difficult for him to see this going on. You can also see him speaking into his earpiece headset, saying what I can only imagine to his Pokemon to take a fall."_

Powerhouse let out a sudden grunt and slowly placed his hands against his injured shoulders. As his hands finally touched the injury, Blaziken's eyes widened only to be squinted shut as he looked away from what Powerhouse was about to do. The four-armed brute applied heavy pressure against his shoulders with a sudden push, one that popped his joints back into alignment with a profound cracking sound.

As Powerhouse sank to his knees and shouted at the unbearable pain, Jason looked away and covered his face with his hands as he mumbled, "Oh God... god... damnit! Oh my God..."

Even the bystanders of the audience expressed their shock with a simultaneous shout. Brooke alternated between glances at Powerhouse and Jason, monitoring the Pokemon's agony as well as Jason painful reaction. Everyone that witnessed this became flabbergasted by it. No Pokemon had ever shown such determination and stubbornness in that field for many years.

Powerhouse swayed his torso back and forth as his vision began to blur, kneeling there ready to pass out at any moment. He kept his gaze high towards the clouds as he took slow, heavy breaths. Jason squatted down and grabbed Powerhouse's Pokeball while pressing the speaker button on his earpiece.

"Powerhouse," said Jason softly. "Please take the fall. No one could've held on as long as you did, and I'm very proud of you. Don't get back up, Powerhouse. You've done enough for now."

Powerhouse brought his gaze behind him slightly to look upon his trainer. After a moment of pause, Powerhouse let out a weak smirk as he turned his gaze back towards Blaziken. The Fire-Type showed no signs of sympathy, despite the great amount it hid away inside. Finally, Powerhouse chuckled to himself before leaning back far enough to fall, his smirk never leaving his face even after he landed.

The crowd cheered the moment Powerhouse hit the ground, relieved that it was over and impressed at his strength. Jason immediately returned Powerhouse back to his Pokeball as he stood up, holding it up to his forehead as he let relief sink in. Blaziken gazed upon the opposing trainer and bowed its head out of respect for its fallen opponent. Meanwhile, Brooke leaned back against her seat and covered her mouth as her friends conversed to each other about their amazement over the fight.

_"And that's that,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Jeff... I gotta say that I'm in utter shock over what just happened."_

_"You don't have to tell me, Leo. I know where you're coming from because I can't believe it myself. This is one hell of a fight."_

Jason put the Pokeball back on his utility belt and reached into his pocket for his cigarette pack. He thought hard on his next move as he lit up his smoke and paced back and forth. On the other side of the arena, Norman tried to determine who Jason would send out next. His first thought was Lapras due to her type advantage. Although Lapras's water attacks would do heavy damage on Blaziken, the bird would at least be able to make short work of her ice trails and use such a distraction to attack.

This thought slowly began to fade, however, as the crowd began a chant that spiked Jason's attention. In a slow rhythm they chanted, " We want Char..."

"We want Char..."

"We want Char..."

The more they chanted Char's name, the more Jason began to think on him being a good choice. He knew that, although Blaziken was indeed a strong opponent, that Char would be able to deal with the bird quickly and still be fresh for the last opponent. Convinced with his decision, he grabbed Char's Pokeball from his utility belt and pointed it at the arena before him.

Jason released his dragon companion into the field. As Char materialized from the energy stream he slowly rose his head upward and gazed upon Blaziken. The flightless bird kept a careful watch over Char as the Dragon-Type popped his neck bones and knuckles, taking subtle breaths and purring as he exhaled.

Norman twitched his head and said into his earpiece, "Alright, he called out his dragon sooner than I thought. Let me just save you the suspense, Blaziken, you are not match for that creature. I have seen what it can do and you don't have the strength to beat him. However, if you focus, you might be able to rough him up a bit before he has to face Slaking. Perform a series of hit-and-run tactics and stay with him as long as you can."

Jason took a puff of his cigarette and said, "Alright, Char, listen up. This trainer's already taken out two of our buddies, but luckily so have we. You've got two Pokemon to beat, so you're gonna have to focus and leave no room for mistakes. This non-flying phoenix has got some skill, but it's got nothing on you. Stay focused and don't forget that you've got flight to your advantage. Now show this bird what you're made of, and when you do, speak well."

Char took a deep breath and roared at the skies, causing everyone in the stadium to cover their ears as his thunderous roar traveled beyond the stadium walls. After five seconds of Char's mighty war cry, Char halted his voice and unleashed a stream of fire half that grew larger in size the farther it traveled. Blaziken braced itself by leaning forward with its arms covering its face and chest as the stream advanced. The Flamethrower stream forced Blaziken's feet to skid against the ground as its body was pushed back. After a moment of Blaziken sustaining minor damage from Char's attack, the Flamethrower suddenly vanished leaving the bird vulnerable.

Without any warning Char ran towards Blaziken with exceptional speed, fast enough for him to catch Blaziken off-guard and unprepared to retaliate. Char landed a hard right hook on Blaziken's beak, followed by two left uppercuts to its stomach and a right knee to the face. The combo caused Blaziken to stagger back a few steps as Char paced towards it. Blaziken shook off the blow and responded with a charging axe kick, one that Char managed to block and counter with another right hook followed by a left cross that knocked the bird down on its back.

Blaziken twirled its body with its legs outstretched and sprung up to its feet, keeping a cautious eye on Char as he wagged his tail back in forth in anticipation. The flightless bird shrieked at Char and performed a cartwheel flip towards its dragon opponent and began a kicking combination as it landed, targeting Char's torso region upwards to his face. Char managed to block all four kicks with his left forearm and countered with a foot sweep with his right foot. Blaziken fell on its left side but responded with a foot sweep of its own, involving both of its feet colliding with Char's calves which in turn brought him down.

Blaziken used the momentum of its foot sweep to spring itself back to its feet as Char rose to his own. The frustrated Fire-Type proceeded to kick at Char's side as he stood up from his knees, two of which were able to connect. Char did not illustrate any heavy damage sustained as he gripped at Blaziken's right ankle with his two hands and spun his body around, allowing his tail to collide with Blaziken's face. He then continued to twist his body while keeping a firm grip on the ankle, allowing him to use both of their momentum to swing the flightless bird one full time around before letting go. Blaziken was launched thirty feet away from Char and smashed into a boulder-sized piece of rubble.

"It's alright, Blaziken," said Norman as his companion slowly stood up. "It'll take a lot more that I thought to do any kind of real damage. Try alternating between close and long ranged attacks but stay on the ground as much as you can. That dragon has the advantage in the air, for one good flap of his wings will get him airborne quick."

Blaziken unleashed a wave of fire from its right foot as it swung around performing a roundhouse kick. Char quickly opened up his wings and pounced to his left side, dodging the fire attack and remaining airborne as he flapped his wings. Char then responded by launching a fire ball from his jaws, but Blaziken was quick to maneuver as it performed a cartwheel flip out of the way and threw three more Blaze Kicks. Char swayed and spun about in the air as he dodged the attacks before spitting another fire ball, one that successfully hit Blaziken's chest and forced the Fire-Type down to the ground.

As Blaziken stood up, Char began a flying charge at the bird with his arms outstretched. Blaziken dodged the airborne tackle attempt by leaning its body back, allowing it to land on its hands as Char flew right over it. Blaziken then twisted its body around to face Char as it sprung back to its feet, using this to jump start its running pursuit. Blaziken pounced for the still aerial Char and dug its massive claws into Char's back. Though the pain was excruciating, Char reached back with his arms and removed Blaziken's front talons from his back before flipping himself forward. This allowed Char to smash Blaziken back into the ground as he made a clean getaway.

Char landed safely on his feet some twenty feet away from Blaziken as the flightless bird struggled to get up. Blaziken began to get exhausted from Char's unwillingness to hold back his attack, taking heavy breaths as it kept its yellow eyes on its approaching opponent. Char danced his feet around and threw a right hook at Blaziken's face. The Fire-Type blocked the blow with its left arm and countered with a body shot with its right. Char absorbed the punch by leaning forward in time for the hit to collide with less impact and countered with a left uppercut to Blaziken's beak, causing it to stagger back a few steps.

Blaziken quickly shook off the blow and attacked with an elbow strike, one that Char blocked with his left hand, and followed through with a raising knee strike. Char leaned back away from the flying knee's path and smashed Blaziken to the ground by gripping at its legs and pushing the bird down to the grassy arena. Blaziken hit the ground with such an impact that it bounced five feet in the air, allowing Char to blast it twenty-five feet away with a point blank ranged fire ball.

_"Good grief, that one had to hurt,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"Blaziken might be done with this one, Jeff."_

_"It certainly seems that way to me as well, Leo. That was a brutal shot Char landed. Very precise and effective, that is what Patton has trained this 'Char' to be. You can't help but be greatly impressed by that."_

Norman lowered his gaze. "It's alright, Blaziken. We knew this was bound to happen. You gave it a shot and it didn't work out as well as we wanted to. I want no heroics like what that Machamp displayed from you, understand? If you need to take the fall, then do so."

"It's over, Char," said Jason. "You own the fight. If it wants to get its ass kicked then let it. Wait for it to attack before you do. That bird gave Powerhouse plenty of chances, and we're gonna give it the same."

Char turned his head to face Jason and nodded before bringing his gaze back towards Blaziken. The weakened Fire-Type slowly emerged to its feet and glared at Char, not quite ready to quit. Char slowly approached Blaziken with caution, knowing that Blaziken was going to attack eventually. As he had predicted, Blaziken took a step forward and swung its right leg around with intent to collide with Char's face. The prepared Dragon-Type leaned back to avoid the kick and blocked an oncoming back fist by grabbing Blaziken's wrist, allowing him to pull the determined bird down on its back again. Char then landed a strong punch on Blaziken's chest before backing away.

Surprisingly, Blaziken managed to spring up to its feet and approached Char once more. Char ducked under a right hook claw slash and blocked the alternated left. He then gripped at Blaziken's throat and lifted the Fire-Type above the ground, allowing him to slam it back onto its back. Char allowed Blaziken's body to bounce without attacking and instead backed away as the weakened bird struggled to sit up.

Blaziken managed to once again stand up, staggering in its light footsteps as it approached Char once more. Blaziken executed a straight front kick at Char's gut, only to hit nothing but air as Char side stepped and landed a left uppercut on Blaziken's gut. The blow forced Blaziken to drop to one knee, but it refused to fall all the way. It stood up and threw a right hook, one that Char simply caught and pushed aside without countering. Another hook, this time from Blaziken's left fist, was thrown and blocked in the same fashion by Char, starring into Blaziken's eyes as he blocked one after the other.

Finally, after the fifth failed attempt, Blaziken simply starred back at Char as it struggled to stay standing on its feet. Char made no attempt to knock the flightless bird down, although he did grip onto Blaziken's chest feathers and pulled it closer to him as they continued their stare.

"I told you no heroics," said Norman sincerely. "It's done, Blaziken. He's just waiting for you to take the fall. Do it now, Blaziken. You fought one hell of a match today."

Blaziken's threatening glare began to fade as it slowly closed its eyes in defeat. Char took immediate notice and gently loosened his grip, allowing Blaziken to stand up on its own until it finally just fell back. Blaziken was soon after declared unable to continue and Norman returned the defeated fighter back into its Pokeball. The heightened applause from the stadium's audience filled both Norman and Jason a jolt of pride, for they were both very proud of what their Pokemon had accomplished.

_"Wow, Jeff,"_ said Leo Barkley. _"Just... wow..."_

_"Never in my time as a commentator have I seen such determination, skill and power then I have from these two trainers. This is going to be an anniversary to remember in the years to come."_

Norman released his final Pokemon into the arena, the ape-like giant known as Slaking. It stood shorter than Char at six feet in height but more than overweighed him with its robust gut. The creature's face, chest, hands, feet and gut were the areas that were not covered heavily with the brown fur that covered its arms, legs and back or the bushy white mane around its neck. Two distant teeth from its bottom jaw bit over its upper lip, and its snout resembled that of the flat-faced Snubbull. It's most muscular areas included its forearms and calves, much larger than its biceps or thighs.

Jason nodded his head with a slight hint of frustration in his eyes, for he had a feeling that Norman would send his Slaking out. "Alright Char, listen up. This is a Pokemon that Norman does not use much, but I do know that it has a peculiar fighting style and that it's a lot faster than it looks. From what I've seen, Slaking is hard to keep up with and appears to strike out of pure random, but it's not. Just stay calm, stay focused, plan out your strikes and don't feel ashamed to get airborne if you need to. We've gotta be really careful with this one, so just take your time and you'll have a winning chance. With the way things are looking right now, you're my only hope of winning this match. I am depending on you but trust me, you can do this."

"Your fighting style should be able to penetrate this dragon's defenses," said Norman. "Wear him down with your claw swipes and cartwheel kicks, but don't underestimate his skill. He just made short work of Blaziken, and he will do the same to you if you let your guard down. Lastly, save your 'surprise' attack for when he's airborne. It will catch him quite off guard and allow you to gain the wining advantage."

Slaking began swaying its body in random directions as it seemingly staggered towards Char. This was a common fighting style in Slakings around the world obtained by biological heritage, a fighting style commonly referred to as the Drunken Sloth. Char began his approach and kept a cautious eye on Slaking's movements, looking for possible openings in its unorthodox agility.

With a quick twist of its body, Slaking made the first attack by throwing a descending back fist. Char widened his eyes as he brought both of his arms above his head, barely blocking the surprise attack as Slaking already followed through with an alternating back fist thrown at Char's left side. Char raised his left knee just in time to block the second hit, but Slaking was once again quick to retaliate as it bent its body backwards and swung its right foot at Char's face. Char dodged the attack by leaping back away from the kick, using his wings to further the distance traveled.

Slaking continued its unusual dance and approached Char once more. Char in turn stepped forward, wagging his tail back and forth as he anxiously watched Slaking's movements. Suddenly, Slaking rolled towards Char and sprung up with a right uppercut. Char sidestepped to his right and countered with a well placed right hook, only to be hit in the chin with a rising back fist after he connected with his punch. Both fighters staggered back from each other and Char quickly recovered his footing as Slaking stammered and swayed.

Char growled and made the next move this time by pouncing towards Slaking with his wings spread and flapping to heighten his pace. Slaking arched its body to its left side and performed a cartwheel away from Char's path, dodging the attack with only a few inches of room left over as Char made his pass. Char landed and skid his feet against the ground and ran back towards Slaking, keeping himself on foot as he charged.

Slaking blocked a series of alternating punches being thrown at his face, shoulders and gut, and countered with a slippery claw swipe towards the Dragon-Type' left side. Char blocked the approaching threat and caught the next punch thrown at him, a swinging back fist from Slaking's left paw. With Slaking's wrist in Char's clutches, the Dragon-Type pulled the bulky brute towards him and fell on his back as he wrapped his legs around Slaking's arm while his tail wrapped around its neck. Char pulled against Slaking's arm, bending it in the wrong direction as his tail applied a strong choke hold.

Though the double submission hold was highly effective and properly applied, Slaking managed to pull a section of Char's tail far enough for it to sink its teeth through the tail's scaly hide. Char roared as he loosened his grip suddenly and was thrown across the field by the arm that he once held. Char flew a great distance but was able to recover from the toss as he flipped and landed on his feet. Slaking soon stood up and once more began its peculiar dance.

"Don't worry about it, Char," said Jason after he took one last hit of his cigarette. "You still made a great recovery and this thing's starting to get desperate. You seem to be able to keep up with its strikes fairly well, but your long ranged attacks and your aerial moves are gonna be your keys to beating this thing. Hit it with a surprise Flamethrower before takin' off and make frequent passes so you can wear it down."

"It's time to give this guy a run for his money, Slaking," said Norman. "I've got a hunch that creature's going to take flight soon. Let him. It'll give you the chance you need to make your 'surprise attack.' Give him a minor hit as he makes his first pass, then knock him out with a more powerful strike while he's at a distance."

Char unleashed a mighty stream of fire from his jaws at Slaking, one that Slaking blocked against with its arms. After Slaking's feet slid back a few feet, Char halted his attack and flapped his wings as he ran towards his opponent. He became airborne within seconds of his pursuit and flew closer and closer towards Slaking with utter rage in his eyes. As Char came closer, however, Slaking charged his right fist with what appeared to be highly active static. Once Char was within attack range, he suffered a deadly Thunder Punch from the right fist of Slaking, an attack that sent him tumbling into the ground as the electricity continued to travel along his skin.

Char responded with a surprise fire ball, one that managed to collide with Slaking's chest and knocked it down on its back. Char then leaped high into the air and began his descent with his feet outstretched, looking to land hard on Slaking's shoulders. The ape-like brute stood up and threw a wild left hook, one that generated a wave of electric energy right at Char, and rolled out of the way so that Char could crash into the ground. The effect of Slaking's Thunder Wave lasted as Char suffered three powerful claw swipes, two at his chest followed by the final blow to his cheek.

Char wrapped his tail around Slaking's left ankle before it could roll away again, forcing the Normal-Type to fall on its side as Char tugged at its leg. Char used this opportunity to shake off the Thunder Wave's paralyzing effect and unleashed another stream of fire from his mouth, pushing Slaking against the arena several feet before withdrawing the attack.

"Hit him with a Water Gun stream and follow through with a Thunderbolt," ordered Norman. "The water will conduct the electricity you send his way a lot more that way."

Char took to the skies once again and flew around in a wide turn to make a good pass. Slaking stood up and released a stream of high pressurized water, of which managed to hit Char hard enough to lose altitude before it clapped its massive hands together. This clap triggered a bolt of lightning that descended down onto Char's back, forcing the Dragon-Type to crash face first into the field. Within seconds of his impact, Char struggled to quickly stand up but was overcome by another surprise attack, a fast traveling Earthquake stomp that bounced Char's body into the air once more. This proved to be a clever distraction that provided Slaking the opportunity to land another Thunderbolt clap.

'Son of a bitch,' thought Jason as Char fell to the ground from twenty feet in the air and landed hard on his back.

As Slaking awaited Char's next move, the slightly dazed Dragon-Type rolled over to his stomach and kept his upper half above the ground with his hands. He glared at his distant opponent as he began to catch his breath again, ready to deal out punishment.

"I don't know about you, Char," began Jason, "but I'm getting pretty fed up with this fur ball's surprises. I think it's time we blast ourselves some payback. Hit that hairy bastard hard with your Dragon's Breath and rush it head on. Once you've got that furry son of a bitch where you want it, gain the mount and pound it into oblivion. Show these people that you didn't come here to screw around, because this is YOUR arena, brother! Now get in there and work your magic, Char!"

Char stood up with a mischievous smirk before unleashing a massive stream of blue energy from his mouth. The speed of Char's powerful Dragon's Breath was too quick for Slaking to anticipate, leaving it open to receive a devastating energy stream that burned the whole of his torso. Though the attack was indeed powerful and sustained heavy damage, Slaking still remained on its feet as it tried its best to block the stream with its forearms. Just when Char's Dragon's Breath grew to be near unbearable to Slaking, the stream haltered and vanished. The next thing Slaking was able to make out with its blurred vision was a dragon-like creature flying towards it at incredible speed.

Char tackled Slaking to the ground with such an impact that the ground in which they landed cracked into numerous sections. With Slaking's back pressed against the ground, Char quickly straddled the brute's chest and gripped at its white mane. He then tugged Slaking closer towards him as he landed a hard right cross punch and repeated this process four more times, each strike growing in intensity and power.

Char's deadly onslaught was brought to an abrupt halt when Slaking stuck its small right claws into the dragon's left thigh. Char gripped at Slaking's wrist as he roared at the great pain he felt in his leg, allowing Slaking to land a hard left hook on Char's exposed chin. Char flinched at the blow before finally pulling Slaking's claws out of his leg, cringing as blood began to flow from the wound. Suddenly, Slaking's fur began to stick as it outstretched its hands. Char's eyes flickered as Slaking prepared to slap its hands together, a gesture that would trigger another deadly Thunderbolt.

Char landed one last punch on Slaking's flat snout, allowing him enough time to roll away from his opponent as Slaking quickly smacked its hands together. Without a moment's hesitation, a bolt of electricity fell directly within Slaking's intended path, but with Char out of the way the brute became the new target. The bolt hit Slaking's adjoined hands and dealt a great deal of damage, enough to make the brute continue to shake after the bolt had already hit.

_"Oh my,"_ exclaimed Leo Barkley. _"That did not turn out so well for Green's Slaking."_

_"Not at all, Leo. Patton's 'Dragon of Mystery' has shown incredible agility and reflexes in dodging a descending Thunderbolt, one of the quickest power moves out there. I'm completely blown away over this match, and the exciting thing is this might be the end of it. Whoever wins this match has the right to challenge the Elite Four."_

_"Whoa, now hold on there, Jeff. Don't jinks us. This has already been an incredible anniversary, and it's bad luck to take any of it for granted."_

Char narrowed his eyes and smirked as Slaking slowly struggled to stand up. While Jason leaned against the railing on his post in anticipation over the predicted victory, Norman starred at the arena flabbergasted beyond belief. All the effort he had put into preparing for this match was simply not enough to stop Jason and his companions from winning the gold. For the first time in many years he was at a loss, and he no longer knew what else to do.

Although his state of shock was great, he was ready to accept defeat. He and his Pokemon did all that they could to overpower Jason, and Norman thought it best to go out fighting. So he pressed the button on his earpiece and gave out his last order to his Pokemon companion.

"It looks like they're going to get the spotlight this year, Slaking. Don't feel bad, for you fought very well. I doubt nothing could have prepare us for this man, and he has beaten us fair and square. But that doesn't mean the fight's over, not just yet. We still have a chance to show them how much this title means to us, and that they'll have to earn their victory."

Slaking closed its eyes as it subtly popped its neck, taking deep breaths as it began to focus. It then reopened its eyes and glared deep into the eyes of Char, taking slow steps forward as it planned out its next move. Char anticipated the approach and patiently waited for Slaking advance.

Suddenly, Slaking pounced towards Char with its hands reaching out, looking to grip Char into a submission hold of its own. It did not come, however, as Char arched his body to the right and landed a hard right hook as he leaned back towards Slaking, making the punch create a greater impact. Slaking began to stagger and fall but used its left hand to balance itself back to its feet, allowing it to follow through with a right hook of its own.

Char moved inches away from Slaking's approaching fist and applied a hard knee strike to its gut before backing away. Slaking fell to one knee once more, trying to regain its breath as it was nearly knocked out. After a moment of wheezing and panting, the heavily furred ape stood back up and starred at Char once more. Char returned its glare and awaited the weakened ape's response. For what seemed like an eternity, the two combatants simply stood there starring into each other's eyes. Neither one seemed inclined to making the next move.

Finally, however, Slaking took a deep breath and approached Char at a slow and steady pace. Char allowed the weakened Normal-Type to approach but kept his guard up, allowing no room for error. A sudden twitch from Slaking triggered a series of alternating back fists from the ape-like creature's leathery hands. Char paced back as he blocked each strike until he caught one of them and leaped high into the air, using his wings to gain altitude as he pulled against Slaking's arm. What followed next signaled Char's ending blow as he swung Slaking's body around and tossed it towards the ground, launching two massive fire balls as the Normal-Type descended back down to the ground.

Slaking's lack of movement after its rough landing declared it unable to continue shortly after Char landed. With Slaking defeated, Char had won Jason the tournament championship title. The crowd rose in their applause as they all stood up from their seats, and as soon as Norman recalled Slaking back into its Pokeball Jason hopped the railing of his post and ran towards his victorious companion. Char turned around to see Jason's advance and smirked as he walked towards his trainer with pride in his dragon eyes.

_"And that's it,"_ shouted Leo Barkley. _"I can't believe my eyes, ladies and gentlemen! What an incredible finish to an amazing match-up!"_

_"Leo, I've said it once and I'll say it again, welcome to a new era in the Indigo Plateau. Too bad we'll have to wait until tomorrow for the awards ceremony. When that time comes, Patton will be presented with the Official Indigo Plateau Pokemon League Tournament Championship Cup, but he'll also be awarded the opportunity to put it on the line against the members of the Elite Four. What do you think he'll do, Leo?"_

_"Oh, I don't even wanna think about it! I'll gladly wait until tomorrow because like all mothers around the world say, good things come to those who have the patience to wait. We'll see you later, ladies and gentlemen! Don't miss out on Jason Patton's big decision at one o'clock tomorrow! This is Leo Barkley and Jeff Rogers signing off for the day and ready to take on the next. Be there!"_

Norman watched as Jason embraced Char's long neck, congratulating him on an outstanding victory. After a moment of monitoring their celebration, Norman quickly climbed down the ladder of his post and ran towards Jason and Char. They both took notice to Norman's approach and turned to face him as he slowed his pace.

Norman took a deep breath and extended his right hand towards Jason. "Good fight, Patton. You're an extraordinary trainer, and it was my honor to compete against you."

Jason smiled and gripped Norman's hand, shaking it as he said, "Likewise, Green. You put up a hell of a fight."

Norman nodded before letting go of the hand shake and walking towards his stadium entrance. Jason and Char took a moment to watch as Norman left the scene and then looked at each other. They felt the warm feeling of pride inside and acted on it as they shouted and waved their fists at the roaring crowd. Meanwhile, Brooke grinned brightly at the sight of Jason's victory. Her face illustrated a wide variety of expressions, but what stood out the most was her gratitude. She was thankful that Jason was able to keep his promise, and that things were able to turn out the way they did. Despite how dearly she wanted to be there for him right then and there, she knew that things would turn up for the best someday. For now, she would wait and watch as Jason continued his pursuit of accomplishment.

* * *

The next day, the stadium was packed with customers who all were ready to witness the events to come. The arena's surface had been completely restored, and standing in the arena's center were all the trainers that had competed in the tournament lined up in a single file. A few exceptions, including that of Kamon Antonio, did not attend the ceremony, and their spot in the line was kept as a gap in between two trainers.

Joining the twenty trainers was none other than the Elite Four themselves, standing close to one another wearing their usual stadium attire. Lance stood in front of his three team members wearing a small golden medallion around his neck, a shining Pokeball with lightning striking at its center and wings spreading from its sides. It was the medallion that identified him as the Indigo Plateau Grand Champion, a title he had won from his father and never lost in battle.

Also joining these trainers was the League's head chairman, Charles Goodshow. He carried a wireless microphone and stood next to a golden trophy that rose up to three feet in height. The trophy was smelted into a very portly cup held up by three columns, of which were adjoined at their lowest point to provide balance. It was the prize that was to be given to the Tournament Champion the day after earning such a title.

Everyone in the crowd as well as the arena kept a watchful eye out for Jason, for he was scheduled to receive his prize that day. They did not have to wait long, for Jason soon entered the arena from the westward entrance. The crowd's roar grew in volume as he walked towards the large group of people in the arena, glancing at the trainers with a proud smirk as he passed them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," began Goodshow into the microphone as Jason approached him, causing the crowd's cheering to die down. "For the fiftieth time in our history, we appoint a new Tournament Champion. The one we appoint it to is this man standing next to me, Jason Patton. You have overcome the greatest of challenges and your Pokemon fought harder than any before them in this stadium."

The crowd's cheering sounded once more in response to Goodshow's words, followed by the clapping hands of all the trainers that filled the arena field. Jason lowered his gaze slightly as he smiled a little wider, trying to remain modest over his big win. Soon after the crowd's roar began to fade once more, Goodshow gripped at the Tournament Cup and presented it to Jason.

"By accepting this trophy," continued Goodshow, "you are officially certified as this year's Tournament Champion, and you will have a spot on the Tournament Hall of Fame. However, you still have a chance to make an even greater impact on our League, for you have the option to issue a challenge to the Elite Four. But remember, in doing so you put what you have already worked so hard to obtain at stake. The choice is entirely up to you, Mr. Patton, but let me first say that no matter what you choose, you have already made this a year to remember. Mr. Patton, you have the option."

Jason took a long hard look at the trophy before him as the crowd began chanting in unison, urging Jason to continue as they shouted, "Keep going..."

"Keep going..."

"Keep going..."

After a long moment's gaze, Jason slowly reached for the trophy and raised it high into the air. The crowd voiced out their disappointment but didn't boo him out of the arena. He was a first timer, after all, and accepting the title this way was to be expected in a newcomer. The trainers applauded his decision as Goodshow nodded his head at Jason, convinced that the year was over.

But then something happened. Jason walked towards Norman Green's spot in the line-up of trainers and starred him deep in the eye as he held onto the trophy. He then laughed to himself and tossed the trophy at Norman, causing the confused trainer to blink and quickly react in time to catch the trophy. Once it was within Norman's grasp, he frowned at Jason and tilted his head. This illustrated confusion only made Jason smile even brighter.

"I think you want that trophy more than I do, Green," said Jason. "As far as everyone here is concerned, you are this year's Tournament Champion. I may have beaten you officially, but my fight was never with you. So you can take it off my hands, because I don't need it anymore."

Jason said nothing else to Norman as he walked towards none other than Lance Siegfried himself, extending his right hand outward as he pointed at the Grand Champion with his index finger. This gesture triggered a great roar from the audience, as well as a look of surprise from both Goodshow and Lance himself.

"I didn't come here for a flashy lookin' paperweight that reaches half my size," shouted Jason with determination and intensity in his tone. "I came here for you, Lance, and the gold wrapped around your neck! So if that means I have to go through your three partners here then that's what will happen!"

Jason pulled all five of his Pokeballs from his belt and released all of his companions behind him. They materialized from the five streaks of energy and starred deep into the four members of the Elite Four. They all seemed rejuvenated from their prior battles and were eagerly ready for another. Espeon, Powerhouse and Char showed no signs of weakness or fatigue, despite the furious battle the fought the day prior. Shocker and Lapras joined the other three in a simultaneous, pride driven smirk meant for their upcoming opponent trainers before them.

"Take a good look at these guys, members of the Elite Four, because they are the ones you're gonna have to face in the days to come. We are here for what you have held in your possession for years, so you'd best prepare yourselves. We've come too far to hold anything back now, and I assure you that we won't! I'll see you four again in this arena."

"Ladies and gentlemen," shouted Goodshow into his microphone. "Jason Patton has just issued his challenge! The Grand Championship Title will be on the line this year!"

As the crowd's roar reached a near deafening level, Jason signaled his Pokemon to follow him back the way he came out. As Jason and his Pokemon turned and headed back for the westward entrance, Lance and his elite team kept their sights on their upcoming challengers. They all illustrated many expressions as they thought on their match-up, somewhat worried but excited at the same time.

One way or the other, however, there would be one who would walk away with the gold while the other would go home empty handed. It was only a matter of time before such an outcome would be discovered...

* * *

_Alright then! Another chapter in the bank! Once again I wanna thank you loyal readers for putting up with my being away for so long. Your hits and reviews are what always keep me thinking about these stories and I can promise you that these stories will be completed in the future._

_So all in all, we got a healthy dosage of action and got to see some familiar faces, and yes the character Kamon Antonio is in fact derived from the rival character in the Gold/Silver game series. lol_

_As for the Mewtwo reference, for those of you who are wandering, no Mewtwo doesn't make an actual appearance in this paticular fic. Does that mean that Mewtwo will or will not appear in the sequels to come? Well there's only one way I can answer that question: The only thing for sure about Onion Man Chive is nothin's for sure!_

_Now for the next chapter. It will consist of three Pokemon battles pitting Jason agaisnt the first three members of the Elite. Not only am I planning on making these battles even more dramatic than the last, but I'm also experimenting with a concept that has made a popular impact on the games as well as the cartoon. You'll have to find out next time, sorry!_

_See ya next chapter!_


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